MRI: Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope to Enhance Research and Student Research Training in Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology and Physics departments at SF State Univ

MRI：购买原子力显微镜以加强旧金山州立大学工程、生物化学、生物学和物理系的研究和学生研究培训

• 批准号: 1626611
• 负责人: Mojtaba Azadi Sohi
• 金额: $ 47.28万
• 依托单位: San Francisco State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1626611&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Atomic; Force; Microscope

This award, funded by the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI), brings new research and teaching capabilities to four Departments/schools at the College of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University (SFSU) via acquisition of a multipurpose microscope (Bio-AFM). This instrument (Bio-AFM) combines two powerful microscopes: (1) a fluorescence microscope that provides detailed optical images of translucent biological samples, such as cells and soft tissues, and (2) an atomic force microscope (AFM) that provides high-resolution contour maps of samples as well as a broad range of physical properties, such as force, friction, and electric potential. The lack of quantitative techniques in biological sciences has forced researchers to use traditional assessment tools that are typically subjective or not completely quantitative. This instrument will close this gap by empowering development of new quantitative techniques to detect the small effect of medications and medical interventions that occur at the molecular and cellular scales. The techniques will allow researchers to study aging and genetic predisposition by accurately measuring their affects on physical properties of the tissues in micro and nano scales. The instrument will serve as a catalyst for stimulating interdisciplinary collaborations within the college as well as with external users and colleagues at universities, research organizations, and private industries across the Bay Area. The Bio-AFM serves as a critical pedagogical tool in interdepartmental courses designed to offer Masters and undergraduate students hands-on experiences. It will also expand opportunities for recruiting, retaining, and engaging students at a large, urban, comprehensive university with a significant population of individuals who are traditionally under-represented in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Exposure to this state-of-the-art imaging and data acquisition system will augment the training experiences of students and help prepare them for Ph.D. programs or professional careers.This award promotes a number of new collaborative research projects that will allow in-depth characterization of the mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of natural and engineered materials, as well as imaging of a wide variety of samples, ranging from soft biological tissues to hard metals. The instrument, with its uniquely integrated fluorescence microscope, cutting-edge actuation system, and advanced controls, will ensure the development of open source, quantitative assessment tools that enable any modern AFM to capture the comprehensive micro-mechanics and nano-dynamics of soft biomaterials by finding intrinsic bi-phasic characteristics including elasticity and permeability. Use of the Bio-AFM by SFSU researchers will also enable research advances in the following areas: detecting subtle effects of multiple biological factors such as age and genetic modification on the functions and mechanics of biological materials by using the force indentation tools of the AFM as well as the explained quantitative assessment tool; understanding the impact of different synthesis conditions on the formation and conductivity of polycrystalline thin films under ultraviolet illumination, commonly used in photoelectrochemical applications by using the conductive AFM technique; elucidating the effects of key fabrication parameters on the surface characteristics and mechanical properties of meso-scale materials for energy and filtration applications, by direct mapping and quantification of the surface roughness of electrospun fibers; investigating extracellular organelles synthesized by bacteria and measuring adhesive forces generated by these organelles using the AFM imaging capabilities and the integrated fluorescent microscope; and evaluating the strength of cell-cell interactions by detecting morphological changes and mapping the electrostatic surface potential by using the conductive AFM technique.

该奖项由主要的研究仪器计划（MRI）资助，通过收购多功能显微镜（Bio-AFM），为旧金山州立大学科学与工程学院（SFSU）的四个部门/学校带来了新的研究和教学能力。该仪器（Bio-AFM）结合了两个强大的显微镜：（1）荧光显微镜，提供了详细的透明生物样品（例如细胞和软组织）的光学图像，以及（2）一个原子力显微镜（AFM），可提供高分辨率的样品映射样品的高分辨率轮廓图，以及广泛的物理特性以及诸如势力，差异，差异和电力。生物科学中缺乏定量技术迫使研究人员使用通常是主观或不是完全定量的传统评估工具。该仪器将通过赋予新的定量技术的发展来缩小这一差距，以检测分子和细胞量表处的药物和医疗干预措施的微小影响。这些技术将允许研究人员通过准确测量微型和纳米尺度中组织物理特性的影响来研究衰老和遗传易感性。该乐器将作为刺激大学内部跨学科合作的催化剂以及整个湾区大学，研究组织和私人行业的外部用户和同事。 Bio-AFM是跨部门课程的关键教学工具，旨在为硕士和本科生动手实践经验。它还将扩大在一所大型城市，全面的大学中招募，保留和吸引学生的机会，这些大学传统上在科学，技术，工程和数学的学科中占有不足的人数。接触这种最先进的成像和数据获取系统将增强学生的培训经验，并帮助他们为博士学位做好准备。该奖项促进了许多新的合作研究项目，这些项目将允许对天然和工程材料的机械，电气和光学性质进行深入表征，以及从软生物组织到硬金属的各种样品的成像。该仪器及其独特集成的荧光显微镜，尖端的驱动系统和高级控制将确保开源，定量评估工具的开发，使任何现代化的AFM能够通过找到内在的生物强调特征来捕获软性生物材料的综合微型机械学和纳米动力学，包括弹性和释放性（包括弹性）。 SFSU研究人员对生物AFM的使用还将在以下领域进行研究：检测多种生物学因素的微妙影响，例如年龄和遗传修饰对生物材料功能和机制的微妙影响，使用AFM的力压痕工具以及解释的定量评估工具；了解不同合成条件对紫外线薄膜在紫外线照明下的形成和电导率的影响，这是通过使用导电AFM技术用于光电化学应用中的；通过直接映射和量化电气传播纤维的表面粗糙度，阐明了关键制造参数对中级材料表面特性和机械性能的影响；研究由细菌合成的细胞外细胞器，并使用AFM成像能力和集成的荧光显微镜测量这些细胞器产生的粘合力；并通过使用导电AFM技术来检测形态变化并映射静电表面电位，从而评估细胞细胞相互作用的强度。