INTELLECTUAL MERIT: A symposium entitled ?Nanostructured Materials for Future Therapy? is being organized to be held at the 237th American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting between March 22nd and 26th, 2009, in Salt Lake City, UT. The symposium is sponsored by the Division of Polymer Chemistry (POLY) within the ACS. This symposium will address recent advances and issues in development, characterization, and application of nanostructured materials with health-related promises. The proposed symposium will discuss four thrust areas, focusing on polymeric systems that are assembled to nanometer-scale and whose specific biological functions largely arise from such structure: (i) Novel polymeric systems with controlled cellular responses; (ii) Novel nanostructured systems with therapeutic potential; (iii) Interfacing tissues with bioactive surfaces; and (iv) Innovative measurement tools. The goal of this symposium is to provide opportunities for both leaders and young investigators working in these focus areas to share their recent advances, ideas, challenges, and solutions with the expectation that innovative approaches being developed in one area can directly impact and facilitate advances in the others. The objectives of the symposium are: (1) To highlight recent advances in the design, synthesis and characterization of nanostructured biomaterials for fundamental understanding of cell biology and practical applications in biomedical engineering; (2) To promote dialogues between polymer scientists, chemists, bioengineers, pharmaceutical scientists, and biologists, establish contacts and exchange ideas among different areas; and (3) To provide opportunities for young investigators including junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students to present their most updated research results. Advances in novel polymer design and nanotechnology have provided unprecedented opportunities to design and organize new nanostructured materials. New methodologies and tools have facilitated understanding the influence of the nanostructured materials on biological processes. Collaborative efforts among these areas hold great promises in developing new future therapy. The four focus areas of the symposium have shared interests in understanding the biological consequences of the nanostructured materials and approaches to addressing chemical and engineering challenges. As the lines between the scientific disciplines began to blur in recent years, it has become vital to showcase the advances of eminent cross-disciplinary investigators while training young scientists of the next generation in such an environment. This symposium will bring together many of the strongest and most promising researchers in this active field and promote their communications and collaborations toward development of new future therapy.
BROADER IMPACTS: This symposium will positively affect human health by fostering synergistic interactions between polymer scientists, chemists, bioengineers, pharmaceutical scientists, and biologists, who are working toward development of new nanostructured materials for future therapy. This grant will contribute to broad dissemination of the proposed symposium by encouraging a large attendance of next-generation scientists through travel awards.
