The objective of this project is to acquire a cutting-edge commercial multi-functional Integrated Fluorescence/Atomic Force Microscope (IF-AFM) to support fundamental and interdisciplinary research projects and the applied biophysics and nanoscience education programs in the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas region. The IF-AFM will be installed at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) and will be used as a shared characterization facility. This instrument is designed to measure a variety of physical, chemical, and biophysical properties including nanostructural, nanomechanical, and electrical at the single molecule level and under a variety of conditions. The optical integration offers almost endless possibilities in high resolution imaging, force measurements, and nanomanipulations. The attractive feature of the IF-AFM is that the AFM tip can be guided optically to perform nanomanipulations at specific areas of the specimen. This technique is uniquely capable of shedding light on the interplay between individual and collective behavior. This acquisition will enhance the existing research and educational infrastructure and will provide the state-of-the-art measurement system to a broad range of users in State of Texas, thereby elevating advanced nano-materials research and educational programs in the Rio Grande Valley to a globally competitive level. The IF-AFM instrument acquisition will enable significant enhancement of basic research toolset across a wide range of biophysical, biomedical, and material programs including physics of biofilm formation, bacterial adhesion, bacterial mechanics and dynamics, protein aggregation and interaction, bioimaging, and nanostructured surfaces. The enabling IF-AFM capabilities will inspire development of new transformative research directions to discover the underlying biophysical principles that govern the operation of cellular machinery and use this knowledge to unravel the mechanisms of many diseases that afflict millions of people. It is also expected that what is learned will help in the development of new biologically-inspired materials which will have far-reaching consequences for biomedical and bio-nanotechnological applications. This project brings together a diverse group of institutions in Texas and nationwide: University of Texas at Brownsville and University of Texas Pan American (UTPA) - the minority Hispanic universities, University of Texas at Austin and Dayton University. The IF-AFM has a wide range of capabilities which will benefit potential users from physics, engineering, biology, and biomedical fields. Shared use of the instrument will promote multi-institutional, inter-disciplinary collaborations that will enhance the educational experience of more than 80 undergraduate and graduate students of participating universities. The IF-AFM will also become an essential element of research-based training for physics, biology, biomedical, and engineering science majors from underrepresented minority group. The educational plan provides learning opportunities through combined (i) course development and (ii) hands-on observations. The PI will develop and teach two new courses on Biological Physics that integrate research results in a broader biophysical context. To motivate the next generation of scientists, the PI will work with local middle/high school students as part of UTB Science and Engineering Expo, introducing them firsthand to the physics of cellular locomotion through microscopy and modeling activities. The results of these research and teaching efforts will be broadly disseminated through abstracts and peer reviewed publications, as well as by active participation of students and faculty at professional meetings.
