CAREER:Toxicology of graphene-based nanomaterials: A molecular biotechnology approach

职业：石墨烯基纳米材料的毒理学：分子生物技术方法

• 批准号: 1150255
• 负责人: Debora Rodrigues
• 金额: $ 28.42万
• 依托单位: University of Houston
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-01-15 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1150255&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Toxicology; graphene; based; nanomaterials

CBET 1150255-RodriguesAmong all the carbon-based nanomaterials (e.g., fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene), graphene-based nanomaterials have been shown to be the least cytotoxic to humans and animals; however, like other nanomaterials, they have antimicrobial properties and may therefore have serious impacts on wastewater treatment. In wastewater treatment plants, microorganisms are responsible for cleaning the water by digesting organic materials and other contaminants. Antimicrobial pollutants can seriously hinder the functionality of the native microbial population, leading to ineffective removal of biological and chemical wastes in the water. Since the market for graphene-based products is projected to be as large as $67 million in 2015 and reach nearly $675 million by 2020, it is expected graphene-based wastes to be generated. Wastewater treatment plants will be one of the ultimate repositories for these wastes. Therefore, it is essential to understand the effect of these graphene-based nanomaterials on microbial populations responsible for the wastewater treatment. At this time, most toxicological studies with graphene-based nanomaterials have focused on the effects of single compositions of graphene-based nanomaterials on one or two bacteria in laboratory settings. It is likely that these studies do not reflect the real effects of graphene-based nanomaterials on the environment. The overarching goal of this research is to understand the mechanisms of microbial toxicity of graphene-based nanomaterials and determine the toxic concentrations that affect the functionality of microbial communities involved in various biogeochemical cycles important in wastewater treatment, such as nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon cycles.Intellectual Merit: This project will enable transformative research in nanotoxicological science by using a new approach that integrates the fields of microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology with traditional environmental engineering to better address challenges in environmental quality, sustainability and security of these nanomaterials. This will be the first study to employ molecular biology techniques to assess the mechanisms of toxicity of graphene-based nanomaterials to answer mechanistic questions that cannot be answered with traditional toxicological assays. Furthermore, this study will also use a molecular biotechnology approach to determine the effects of different concentrations of graphene-based nanomaterials on different nutrient cycles in wastewater. Using this approach, thousands of genes and biogeochemical pathways will be analyzed simultaneously with a DNA microarray platform. At the same time, traditional environmental engineering techniques will be used to set acceptable release concentration limits for graphene-based nanomaterials in the environment. In this study, we will investigate the environmental effects of pure and nanocomposite forms of graphene-based nanomaterials on microorganisms and their biogeochemical cycles in wastewater treatment plants. Results of preliminary studies conducted by the PI show that graphene-based nanomaterials for "clean," well-controlled systems with several microorganisms are toxic to bacteria. However, real aquatic systems are more complex than the simplified system used in the preliminary study. In the proposed project, a systematic investigation will be conducted to understand the impact of graphene-based nanomaterials on microbial communities and their biogeobiochemical cycles under real aquatic system conditions.Broader Impact: The project can potentially impact the use and applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in various technologies. The results will contribute to the body of knowledge required to assess the risk of nanomaterials by policy makers, regulatory officials, and environmental scientists. However, one of the most important impacts of this project is the education and training of young scientists and researchers who will be skilled to determine how safe these new materials are in the environment. This project includes three education and outreach components: (1) Mentoring of teachers in environmental research as part of a new research experience for teachers (RET) program recently funded by NSF in order to allow them to learn about the field of engineering and be able to mentor their students in this path; (2) Development of a pilot program to provide summer research experiences to girls in Grades 8-12 to expand diversity in science and engineering; (3) Integration of environmental engineering, environmental biotechnology, and microbial ecology into the environmental engineering undergraduate and graduate curriculum at UH. The PI brings her experiences as a minority to the mentoring of under-represented students. Diversity is not only a goal, but a cornerstone of her research group. The PI has successfully engaged three female graduate students in research, one of which is Hispanic-American Ph.D. student.

CBET 1150255-RODRIGUESAMONG所有碳基纳米材料（例如富勒烯，碳纳米管和石墨烯），基于石墨烯的纳米材料的纳米材料对人类和动物的细胞毒性最低。但是，像其他纳米材料一样，它们具有抗菌特性，因此可能会对废水处理产生严重影响。在废水处理厂中，微生物负责通过消化有机材料和其他污染物来清洁水。抗菌污染物可以严重阻碍天然微生物种群的功能，从而导致无效去除水中的生物学废物。由于基于石墨烯的产品的市场预计在2015年将达到6700万美元，到2020年将达到近6.75亿美元，因此预计将产生基于石墨烯的废物。废水处理厂将是这些废物的最终存储库之一。因此，必须了解这些基于石墨烯的纳米材料对负责废水处理的微生物种群的影响。目前，大多数使用石墨烯基纳米材料的毒理学研究都集中在实验室环境中一种或两种细菌的​​基于石墨烯的纳米材料对单个或两种细菌的​​影响上。这些研究很可能不会反映基于石墨烯的纳米材料对环境的实际影响。这项研究的总体目标是了解基于石墨烯的纳米材料的微生物毒性的机制，并确定影响各种生物地球化学周期中重要的微生物群落功能性的毒性浓度，对废水处理重要的处理重要的是氮，硫酸盐和碳循环的新努力。将微生物生态学和环境生物技术的领域与传统的环境工程结合在一起，以更好地解决这些纳米材料的环境质量，可持续性和安全性的挑战。这将是第一个采用分子生物学技术来评估基于石墨烯的纳米材料毒性的机制来回答传统毒理学测定无法回答的机理问题的研究。此外，这项研究还将使用分子生物技术方法来确定不同浓度的基于石墨烯的纳米材料对废水中不同营养循环的影响。使用这种方法，将与DNA微阵列平台同时分析数千个基因和生物地球化学途径。同时，传统的环境工程技术将用于为环境中基于石墨烯的纳米材料设置可接受的释放浓度限制。在这项研究中，我们将研究基于石墨烯的纳米材料对微生物及其生物地球化学循环在废水处理厂中的环境影响。 PI进行的初步研究的结果表明，基于石墨烯的纳米材料用于“清洁”，良好控制的系统，具有几种微生物对细菌有毒。但是，实际水生系统比初步研究中使用的简化系统更为复杂。在拟议的项目中，将进行系统的研究，以了解基于石墨烯的纳米材料对微生物群落及其生物地藻化学循环的影响，在实际水生系统条件下。BOADER的影响：该项目可能会影响基于石墨烯的纳米材料在各种技术中的使用和应用。结果将有助于评估政策制定者，监管官员和环境科学家所需的知识体系。但是，该项目最重要的影响之一是对年轻科学家和研究人员的教育和培训，他们将熟练确定这些新材料在环境中的安全程度。该项目包括三个教育和外展组成部分：（1）在环境研究中指导教师，这是NSF最近由NSF资助的新教师研究经验（RET）计划的一部分，以便他们了解工程领域，并能够以这一道路指导他们的学生； （2）制定试点计划，为8 - 12年级的女孩提供夏季研究经验，以扩大科学和工程学的多样性； （3）将环境工程，环境生物技术和微生物生态学整合到UH的环境工程本科和研究生课程中。 PI将她作为少数群体的经验带给了代表性不足的学生的指导。多样性不仅是一个目标，而且是她的研究小组的基石。 PI成功地吸引了三名女研究生研究，其中一位是西班牙裔美国人博士学位。学生。