Controlling the outcome of reactions in macromolecular systems: Measurement of structural dynamics during synthesis and degradation in biologically relevant polymers

理解活生物组织中的分子和聚合物如何相互作用的最大挑战之一是无法表征未受干扰的生物组织中的化学结构和功能。然而，化学添加剂能够在生物组织中进行对比，但存在局限性，例如需要遗传操作或染料遭受光漂白、快速消化或细胞毒性和意外改变。重要的是，由于结构分析技术通常需要纯化的样品或缺乏生物相容性，因此难以评估相邻蛋白质或聚合物之间的结构异质性的影响。** 在拟议的研究中，我们将利用分子和聚合物的非线性光学特性来发现生物相关聚合物如何在未受干扰的组织中组装，降解和修复。为了实现这一目标，我们将使用不同的先进的非线性光学分析技术的组合，并开发新的仪器来表征聚合物的结构特性。拟议的仪器将是加拿大的第一个系统，也是世界上少数几个对聚合物结构特性进行快速非线性光学表征的系统之一。这项研究将为学生提供先进和世界一流的培训机会。了解生物相关聚合物如何组装，降解和修复将为农业和制药研究提供新的发展。例如，将研究衰老过程中细胞外基质中胶原蛋白的结构变化，这在开发器官支架和新药方面具有适用性。此外，对纤维素、甲壳素和淀粉的复杂结构和消化特性的新见解对全球食品、生物燃料、纸浆和纸张、纺织品和可生物降解材料行业产生了巨大影响，并有可能为下一代加拿大企业家提供分拆公司。最后，对光合作用的更好理解可以应用于提高植物生长效率，在寒冷气候中种植植物和增加全球粮食供应。这些知识也可以用于开发先进的人造太阳能电池，使太阳能电池具有动态天线，以提高低光条件下的收集效率。

One of the greatest challenges to understanding how molecules and polymers in living biological tissues interact is the inability to characterize both chemical structure and function in undisturbed biological tissues. Chemical additives enable contrast in biological tissues however, with limitations such as requiring genetic manipulation or dyes suffering from photobleaching, quick digestibility, or cytotoxicity and unintended alterations. Importantly, effects of structural heterogeneity between neighbouring proteins or polymers are difficult to assess since structural analysis techniques typically require purified samples or lack biocompatibility. ******In the proposed research, we will take advantage of the nonlinear optical properties of molecules and polymers to discover how biologically relevant polymers assemble, degrade and repair in undisturbed tissues. To achieve this goal, we will use a combination of different advanced nonlinear optical analysis techniques and develop novel instrumentation for characterizing the structural properties of polymers. The proposed instrumentation will be the first system in Canada and one of a handful in the world to perform fast nonlinear optical characterization of polymer structural properties. This research will allow advanced and world class training opportunities for students.******Understanding how biologically relevant polymers assemble, degrade and repair will provide new developments in agricultural and pharmaceutical research. For instance, insight into the structural changes of collagen in the extracellular matrix during ageing will be studied which has applicability in developing organ scaffolds, and new pharmaceuticals. Further, novel insights into the complex structure and digestion properties of cellulose, chitin and starch has tremendous impact on global food, biofuels, pulp and paper, textile and biodegradable materials industries, with potential for spin-off companies enabling the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs. Finally, an improved understanding of photosynthesis has applications in increasing plant growth efficiency, growing plants in colder climates and increasing global food supply. This knowledge may also be implemented to develop advanced artificial solar cells, enabling solar cells with dynamic antenna for improved efficiency collection during low light conditions.