Nanomaterials and their implication in future scientific discovery are rapidly reshaping the landscape of modern science and technology. Therefore, the research goal is to understand the interaction of carbon nanomaterials with biomolecules, cells, and the whole organism. New educational plans are proposed for establishing a biophysical nanoscience curriculum at Clemson University, and are complementary to fulfilling the research plan. Establishing the proposed new thrust of biophysical nanoscience is driven by three critical needs: the need to understand the fate, transport, modification, and accumulation of nanoparticles in biological and ecological systems, the need to develop new strategies and methodologies to address the challenges of safe nanotechnology, and the need to update the physics curriculum and provide multidisciplinary education for undergraduate and graduate students at Clemson University in the EPSCoR state of South Carolina. This proposed new thrust utilizes the established strength at Clemson in nanoscience, materials, and biophysics, and will foster collaboration opportunities in accordance with the priority areas of major funding agencies
Since the CAREER award became effective in Feb 2008, the PI, his students, and his domestic and international collaborators have actively taken on a wide range of research and education activities centered on understanding the fate of nanomaterials in biological systems and in the environment. Intellectural Merit This CAREER research has advanced our understanding of the impact of nanomaterials on biological systems and the environment, which has now evolved into a rapidly growing field. Specifically, we have discovered that nanoparticles can induce cell contraction and cell death, and inhibit microtubule polymerization and the growth of rice plants at high concentrations. We have shown that natural organic matter is not only a regular pollutant carrier, but also a robust carrier for fullerenes and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Single-walled carbon nanotubes are not well suspended in natural organic matter and tend to settle into soil to interact with microbial, bacteria, and plankton. On the application-side, fullerenes can inhibit the cytotoxic effect of divalent copper, and dendrimers can bind with fullerols through self assembly for drug delivery and environmental remediation. Furthermore, we have discovered that plant gene can readily bind with fullerene nanoparticles through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction. We have discovered and deciphered that the physicochemistry of nanoparticles dictates their induced toxicities in plant and mammalian cells. We have investigated the effects of plastic adsorption on the inhibited algal photosynthesis and elaborated on the environmental implications of such inhibition, such as curbing hazardous algal bloom for aquaculture and environmental remediation. We have developed a physical method of determining and quantifying cell exocytosis of nanoparticles, and demonstrated a sensitive fluorescence method for sensing environmental pollutants using dendritic polymers. We have also investigated the mechanisms of carbon nanotube toxicity in vitro and the biophysical principles and health implications of carbon nanotube-protein corona. We believe that the fundamental knowledge gained from this multidisciplinary research, from molecular to cellular and to whole organism level, will benefit the safe development of nanotechnology, and the protection of the environment and human health. Broader Impact We have utilized, for the first time, techniques such as Infrared Raman Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for quantifying the uptake of carbon nanoparticles by rice plants. These methods have now been adopted by other researchers to evaluate plant response to nanoparticles. We believe our method is valuable for research on quantifying the uptake of semiconducting nanomaterials and pollutants by biological systems in general. We have shown through this five-year research, that there is rich and exciting science at the interface of disciplines. The researchers participated in this research came from the fields of biophysics, materials, genetics and biochemistry, plants and soils, and environmental engineering. Integration of these disciplines has proved most effective in understanding the fate of nanomaterials in biological and ecosystems. Funding of this research has strengthened the collaborative research between the PI’s lab and researchers at Iowa State University, Wake Forest University, Aalto University in Finland, Bologna University in Italy, and the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics in Estonia. Funding of this research has also fostered student training at the interface of physics, materials, biology, and environmental science and engineering, and updated the physics curriculum at Clemson to reflect the current trend in science. This award has generated 4 PhD and 1 MS degrees, as well as 4 senior theses. Among the participants of this project, six students and four faculty collaborators of the PI came from underrepresented groups, and one participant was a Fulbright scholar from Ecuador. This CAREER research was highlighted by Nanowerk Spotlight, a major online forum for nanotechnology, in 2008-2011. In 2012 this CAREER research was highlighted by Research Media (UK), a premier global scientific dissemination portal. In 2012 this research was also highlighted by the Institute of Physics on its website. These media highlights have contributed to the public awareness of the potential adverse effects of nanoparticles and promoted fundamental research in the areas of environmental and biological implications of nanotechnology. This award has enhanced the career development of the PI, who won an Award of Faculty Achievement Award in the Sciences at Clemson in 2012 and has become a recognized leader in the field of nano-biophysics.
