A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer and Microscope for Bionanomaterials Analysis

这笔拨款将用于提供研究级傅里叶变换红外光谱仪和显微镜，使达尔豪斯大学和圣玛丽大学的研究人员能够进行新的实验。红外光谱允许深入表征原子和分子的确切状态，构成各种各样的材料。所有7名共同申请者和他们目前的41名学员，从本科生到专业研究助理，将能够立即利用该仪器进行：对多种生物（包括人类、真菌、植物、海洋生物和蜘蛛）中生命至关重要的蛋白质的基础研究；开发基于蛋白质、其他天然衍生起始材料或合成聚合物的新材料；并且，开发新的可持续和具有成本效益的分子传感器技术。******该仪器将用于研究蛋白质，如蜘蛛丝，真菌外壳蛋白，植物光合蛋白，鱼类和其他生物在寒冷条件下生存的抗冻蛋白，以及支持许多生物细胞生长的细胞外基质蛋白。对其他类型材料的研究也将被启用并常规进行，包括能够装载诸如药物分子等货物的聚合物网络，使用自然启发模板的金属图案，作为特定分子物种独特传感器的一部分开发的材料；或者，艺术品中的颜料。红外光谱以及通过显微镜进行定位的能力提供了确定每一类蛋白质的折叠状态以及非蛋白质材料中的分子排列和结构的能力。反过来，这又让我们直接了解到原子的复杂排列，正是这种排列使每种蛋白质或物质能够正确地发挥作用。申请人正在利用这些类型的研究来设计和开发新的可生物降解和可持续的材料和传感器。******该仪器将安装在达尔豪斯大学的生物物理分析设施中，为所有共同申请人以及达尔豪斯大学、圣玛丽大学和其他大学的许多其他研究人员提供方便。该仪器将由学生和其他高素质人员直接操作，作为他们研究培训的一部分，每个人都将在仪器的实际使用和结果数据的专家分析方面得到指导。

This grant will be used to provide a research-grade Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and microscope allowing new experiments to be conducted by researchers at both Dalhousie University and Saint Mary's University. IR spectroscopy allows for in-depth characterization of the exact state of the atoms and molecules that make up a wide variety of materials. All seven co-applicants and their 41 current trainees, ranging from undergraduate student to professional research associate, will be able to immediately take advantage of this instrument for: fundamental studies of proteins critical for life in diverse organisms including humans, fungi, plants, marine oraganisms, and spiders; for development of novel materials based on proteins, other naturally-derived starting materials, or synthetic polymers; and, for development of new sustainable and cost-effective molecular sensor technologies.******This instrument will be used to study proteins, such as spider silks, fungal coat proteins, photosynthetic proteins from plants, antifreeze proteins employed by fish and other organisms to survive in cold conditions, and extracellular matrix proteins that support cell growth in many organisms. Studies of other classes of material will also be enabled and routinely carried out, including polymeric networks capable of being loaded with cargos such as drug molecules, metals patterned using naturally-inspired templates, materials developed as part of unique sensors for specific molecular species; or, pigments in artwork. IR spectroscopy and the ability to carry this out as a function of location through microscopy provides the capability to determine the folded states for each of these classes of protein and the molecular arrangement and structuring in non-protein materials. This, in turn, gives direct insight into the intricate arrangement of atoms that allows each type of protein or material to function correctly. These types of study are being employed by the applicants to engineer and develop new biodegradable and sustainable materials and sensors. ******This instrument will be installed in the Biophysical Analysis Facility at Dalhousie, providing ready access to all of the co-applicants and to many other researchers at Dalhousie, Saint Mary's and beyond. This instrument will be operated directly by students and other highly qualified personnel as a part of their research training, each of whom will be mentored in hands-on use of the instrumentation and in expert analysis of the resulting data.