NSF Award
1828246
This award is to purchase an advanced fluorescence microscopy system for Kettering University. The system will enable high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging of cells on a microscopic scale. These capabilities allow molecules and nanoparticles that have potential for enhancing disease treatments to be tracked relative to various parts of the cell. The system will support interdisciplinary research in studying cellular processes with the goal of improving treatment of cancer and other diseases. The system will provide excellent training opportunities for students to prepare them for graduate school or employment in scientific fields after graduation. The system will also enable science-oriented outreach to women and other underrepresented minorities via pre-college programs and summer research experiences for undergraduates. Furthermore, the instrument will be used to provide professional development for teachers and enhance science education of under-served students in Flint and surrounding areas via field trips to the university and Internet-enabled remote microscopy demonstrations.<br/><br/>This instrument will include an inverted microscope with epifluorescence components and light source, an electron-multiplier CCD camera, and a confocal laser scanning system, all of which are critical for the study of the localization and transport of molecules and nanoparticles. The first project will study the mechanisms of ultrasound-mediated delivery of fluorescent agents to cells in the presence of microbubbles, thereby potentially enabling better non-invasive spatiotemporal control of drug delivery. The second project will study the symmetry-breaking mechanisms of eukaryotic cells during movement with fluorescent dyes, thereby contributing to an improved understanding of metastasis. The third project will study the uptake and distribution of fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles in cancerous cells and spheroids with magnetic and ultrasonic methods. These magnetic nanoparticles can be used for noninvasive hyperthermic cancer treatment via induction heating. The fourth project will study the biotoxicity of fluorescent silver nanoparticles on yeast as a model for treating infectious fungi. The fifth project will test fluorescent gold nanoclusters as a means to image beta-amyloid aggregates and study the process of beta-amyloid plaque formation towards a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease. The final project will develop fluorescent quantum dots and characterize their ability to act as nanothermometers in the intra- and extracellular environment during hyperthermia.<br/><br/>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.
