Plasmon Coupling Correlation Spectroscopy

等离子耦合相关光谱

基本信息

批准号：
1808241
负责人：
Bjoern Reinhard
金额：
$ 42万
依托单位：
Trustees of Boston University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
2018
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2018-05-01 至 2022-04-30
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1808241&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Plasmon Coupling Correlation Spectroscopy

项目摘要

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry and the Biomaterials Program in the Division of Materials Research, Professor Reinhard and his team at Boston University are developing optical spectroscopic techniques to investigate the structure and movement of biomolecules at the single molecule level. Single molecule measurements provide information about each molecules that move at a fast rate or rare events that would otherwise be buried by bulk measurements. To monitor the movement and structural changes of biomolecules at such a small scale, Professor Reinhard makes a molecular ruler based on optical interaction of gold nanoparticles (NPs). Fast and subtle changes in biomolecular structure and movements lead to changes in the spectral signature of these gold NPs, which can be captured at fast speed and be used to understand the behavior of biomolecules. The developed technique could elucidate the role of structural fluctuations of proteins and other biomolecules in complex biological systems, which could lead to new advances in biological, biomedical, and environmental research. Professor Reinhard works with his graduate and undergraduate students on the project, providing them an opportunity to work at the interface between biophysical chemistry, bioplasmonics, and biomaterials. Professor Reinhard also organizes workshops, offers research internships, and develops web-modules to share with the general public of his research outcomes. A particular emphasis of his outreach activities is to attract members of groups that are underrepresented in science and engineering to the research of this project.Professor Reinhard is developing a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) based correlation spectroscopy. He utilizes distance-dependent near-field coupling between plasmonic NPs that cause spectral fluctuations in the far-field to monitor interparticle separations which would allow him to obtain long-time signal correlation studies of individual biopolymer molecules entirely without blinking artefacts. In this project, Professor Reinhard uses plasmon coupling correlation spectroscopy (PCCS) to measure the effect of nanoconfinement on the mechanical properties of DNA and experimentally test the validity of conventional polymer models under nano-confinement. He also works on understanding the structural dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) by providing an accurate characterization of the structural fluctuations over a broad frequency range in order to develop predictive function models based on structural dynamics. The ability to elucidate the role of structural fluctuations for the function of disordered proteins and other biopolymers is important and necessary to develop a fundamental understanding of their working mechanism, which remains enigmatic. The project involves testing how spatial nanoconfinement, which is ubiquitous in biological systems, effects and potentially changes the structural dynamics of biopolymers. Besides the research goals, Professor Reinhard is working on a series of educational and outreach activities to actively mentoring students in interdisciplinary research and encourage the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在化学测量和成像计划的化学和成像计划的支持下，材料研究部的生物材料计划，莱因哈德教授及其团队波士顿大学正在开发光谱技术，以研究单分子水平生物分子的结构和运动。单分子测量提供了有关以快速速率或罕见事件移动的每个分子的信息，否则这些分子将被大量测量掩埋。为了监测如此小的生物分子的运动和结构变化，莱因哈德教授根据金纳米颗粒（NPS）的光学相互作用制作了分子尺。生物分子结构和运动的快速变化会导致这些金NP的光谱特征的变化，这些金NP可以以快速捕获，并用于了解生物分子的行为。开发的技术可以阐明蛋白质和其他生物分子在复杂的生物系统中的结构波动的作用，这可能导致生物，生物医学和环境研究的新进展。 Reinhard教授与他的毕业生和本科生一起在该项目中工作，为他们提供了在生物物理化学，生物现代的和生物材料之间的界面工作的机会。莱因哈德（Reinhard）教授还组织研讨会，提供研究实习，并开发网络模型，以与他的研究成果的公众分享。他的外展活动的一种特别强调是吸引科学和工程学中代表不足的群体的成员。他利用等离子体NP之间的距离依赖性近场耦合，这些NP在远场引起光谱波动来监测颗粒间的分离，这将使他能够完全对单个生物聚合物分子的长期信号相关研究完全闪烁而不会闪烁的人工图形。在该项目中，Reinhard教授使用等离子体耦合相关光谱（PCC）来测量纳米构封解对DNA机械性能的影响，并在纳米芬。内进行实验测试常规聚合物模型的有效性。他还致力于通过在广泛的频率范围内提供了对结构波动的准确表征，以便基于结构动力学开发预测功能模型，从而理解本质上无序蛋白（IDP）的结构动力学。阐明结构波动在无序蛋白质和其他生物聚合物功能方面的作用的能力对于发展其工作机制的基本理解至关重要，这仍然是阴险的。该项目涉及测试如何在生物系统，效果并有可能改变生物聚合物的结构动力学中无处不在的空间纳米结构。除研究目标外，赖因哈德教授还在开展一系列教育和推广活动，以积极指导学生进行跨学科研究，并鼓励人数不足的科学和工程团体的参与。这项奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用该基金会的知识分子的优点和广泛的影响来评估NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得的支持。