Nanomechanical Test System for Small Length Scale Biomaterials & Tissue Specimens

描述(由申请人提供)：本共享设备申请中概述的项目的目标被广泛定义为为NIH赞助的一大批研究人员提供小规模机械测试数据，这些研究人员具有组织工程应用的生物材料开发、组织修复和再生分析以及骨和关节组织疾病的分子研究领域的专业知识。长期目标是：目标1：在UCHC微观力学核心设施内建立纳米机械测试专业知识，作为对UCHC和区域调查人员的额外服务。目标2：教育和培训研究人员使用纳米机械测试仪器，特别关注物理学和工程学以外的学科的研究人员(即生物学家)。目标3：利用我们成熟的Micro-CT成像和微机械核心设施的管理和运营模式，以收费的方式提供纳米机械测试。目标4：通过出版和向国内和国际受众介绍成果来传播成果和新技术。将使用纳米机械测试：1)在微小长度尺度上测量生物材料和涂层的性能，允许直接测试特征尺寸小至微米或数十纳米的组织工程支架。这将有助于对材料完整性进行初步表征，以测试改善材料对生物细胞外基质行为的假设；2)检查修复和再生组织的完整性，包括组织-生物材料界面；3)测量从小鼠获得的骨、牙齿、软骨和其他软组织结构的表型机械性能，这些操作对研究人类疾病过程有帮助；4)开发新颖的实验室台式测试，以改进现有的分析方法，如小鼠关节软骨的划痕断裂测试和我们在测量破骨细胞培养中的体积骨吸收率的应用中描述的光学轮廓术方法。总而言之，这些方法为与动物组织、组织工程开发和小动物模型中的组织修复相关的小尺寸结构的机械表面测试提供了一种系统化的解决方案。纳米和微米级机械测试提供的数据在这些研究中至关重要，这使得在旨在治疗肌肉骨骼组织损伤和疾病的研究中能够有意义地获取和解释临床前数据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objectives of the projects outlined in this shared equipment application are broadly defined to provide small-scale mechanical testing data for a large group of NIH-sponsored investigators with expertise in areas of biomaterials development for tissue engineering applications, analysis of tissue repair and regeneration, and molecular studies of bone and joint tissue disorders. The long-term aims are: Aim 1: Establish expertise in nanomechanical testing within the UCHC Micromechanics Core Faciltiy as an additional service to UCHC and regional investigators. Aim 2: Educate and train investigators to use nanomechanical test instruments, with additional focus on investigators in discplines outside of physics and engineering (i.e., biologists). Aim 3: Provide nanomechanical testing on a fee-for-service basis, utilizing the management and operational model of our well-established Micro-CT Imaging & Micromechanics core facility. Aim 4: Disseminate findings and new techniques through publication and presentation of results to national and international audiences. Nanomechanical testing will be used: 1) to measure properties of biomaterials and coatings at minute length scales, allowing direct tests of tissue engineering scaffolds with characteristic dimensions as small as micrometers or tens of nanometers. This will allow initial characterization of material integrity to test hypotheses for improving material behavior toward that of biological extracellular matrix; 2) to examine the integrity of repair and regenerative tissues, including tissue-biomaterial interfaces; 3) for phenotypic mechanical property measurement of bone, tooth, cartilage, and other soft tissue structures obtained from mice with unique genetic manipulations useful for studying human disease processes; 4) to develop novel laboratory benchtop tests to improve existing assays, such as scratch-fracture tests of murine joint cartilage and the optical profilometry approach we describe in the application for measuring volumetric bone resorption rates in osteoclast cell cultures. Collectively, these methods provide a regimented solution to mechanical surface testing of small length scale constructs associated with animal tissues, tissue engineering development, and tissue repair in small animal models. The data provided by nanometer and micrometer scale mechanical tests is paramount in these studies, allowing for meaningful acquisition and interpretation of pre-clinical data in studies aimed at treating musculoskeletal tissue injuries and disorders.