RII Track-4:NSF:Understanding the Fundamental Physics of Acousto-Magnetic Microswimmers to Realize Precise, Tunable Motion at Microscales

能够在微尺度上提供精确和可控运动的微型合成设备(或称微泳者)有可能改变医疗保健和生物工程。例如，这些设备可以通过车载成像和无线数据传输提供对人体复杂区域的直接访问，以实现有针对性的药物输送和局部医疗干预。然而，尽管微尺度推进研究取得了长足的进展，但微泳者的可控、可编程和生物相容的运动仍未实现。该项目将外部声场和磁场相结合，以实现微尺度的可调和可计算可预测的运动。为此，PI将使用宾夕法尼亚大学最先进的制造和表征设备将他的计算方法与实验测量相结合。这项系统的研究将产生对微尺度推进的重要见解，并将提供对微泳者运动及其与声场和磁场的关系的全面了解。这个项目将在PI的总部机构内布拉斯加州-林肯大学和宾夕法尼亚大学之间建立一个长期的合作关系，以阐明管理微泳者运动的基本机制。这个研究基础设施改进Track-4 EPSCoR研究人员(RII Track-4)项目将为内布拉斯加州-林肯大学(UNL)的一名助理教授和一名研究生提供奖学金。在微尺度上提供受控、动力、自主运动的合成设备(微泳者)可以实现新的应用，如诊断传感和靶向药物输送。然而，将先进的导航能力与良好的生物兼容性相结合的理想推进战略尚未实现。这项研究的首要目标是将声场和磁场结合起来，实现微尺度的受控运动。为此，PI将把一种新颖的流固耦合计算框架与先进的实验方法相结合，对微泳者的运动进行广泛的表征，并开发出一种能够将微游者的运动与外部场联系起来的预测计算能力。PI将采用集成的计算和实验方法，与宾夕法尼亚大学的一个团队合作，利用最先进的制造和表征设施来了解微泳者的运动。目标将包括：(1)了解声频、气泡振荡模式和微游者周围流场之间的关系；(2)将微游者的轨迹与外部声场和磁场联系起来；(3)通过综合计算和实验方法探索参数空间，识别新的微游者的设计和功能。这一奖学金将带来关于声磁微泳者身体基础的新的基础知识，并将促进新型微游泳者的轨迹、功能和应用。最终，PI将利用在此奖学金期间获得的知识来推进内布拉斯加州大学林肯大学的研究基础设施，并维持微型推进的长期合作研究努力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Microscale synthetic devices (or microswimmers) that can offer precise and controllable motion at microscales have the potential to transform healthcare and bioengineering. For example, these devices can provide direct access to complex regions of the human body through on-board imaging and wireless data transmission to enable targeted drug delivery and localized medical interventions. However, despite considerable progress in microscale propulsion research, controlled, programmable and biocompatible motion of microswimmers is yet to be realized. This project combines external acoustic and magnetic fields to achieve tunable and computationally predictable motion at microscales. To this end, the PI will integrate his computational methods with experimental measurements using state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization facilities at the University of Pennsylvania. This systematic investigation will generate crucial insights into microscale propulsion and will provide a comprehensive understanding of microswimmer motion and its relation to acoustic and magnetic fields. This project will establish a long-term collaboration between the PI’s home institution of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Pennsylvania to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms that govern the microswimmer motion.This Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4 EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4) project would provide a fellowship to an Assistant Professor and training for a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Synthetic devices (microswimmers) that offer controlled, powered, autonomous motion at microscales can enable novel applications such as diagnostic sensing and targeted drug delivery. However, an ideal propulsion strategy that combines advanced navigational capabilities with excellent biocompatibility is yet to be realized. The overarching goal of this research is to combine acoustic and magnetic fields to achieve controlled motion at microscales. To this end, the PI will integrate a novel fluid-structure interaction computational framework with advanced experimental approaches to perform extensive characterization of microswimmer motion and develop a predictive computational capability that can relate the microswimmer motion with external fields. The PI will adopt an integrated computational and experimental approach by working in collaboration with a team at the University of Pennsylvania to leverage state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization facilities for understanding microswimmer motion. Objectives will include to: (1) understand the relation between acoustic frequency, bubble oscillation modes, and the flow field around the microswimmer; (2) relate microswimmer trajectories with the external acoustic and magnetic fields; and (3) identify novel microswimmer designs and functionalities by exploring the parametric space via an integrated computational and experimental approach. This fellowship will lead to new fundamental knowledge on the physical underpinnings of acousto-magnetic microswimmers and will facilitate novel microswimmer trajectories, functionalities, and applications. Ultimately, the PI will utilize the knowledge gained during this fellowship to advance research infrastructure at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and sustain a long-term collaborative research effort for microscale propulsion.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.