and Abstract Overview and Career Goals: My career goal is to lead an interdisciplinary research program at a major US university, which will combine components of nanomaterials, tissue engineering, and bioimaging research to create new therapeutic and diagnostic tools. This K99/R00 application has two components that will help me achieve my goal: 1) At the research level, it outlines a strategy for the development of functional nanoscale mimetics of proteoglycans, a class of cellular function regulators, and their integration into a microarray discovery platform to generate materials for biomedical use. 2) The training portion of this application describes the steps I will take to acquire the necessary skills in molecular and cell biology, nanoimaging, and professional and career development I will need to build such an interdisciplinary research program and launch a successful career as an independent scientist and scholar. The R00 award will provide an important start-up support for my team, while we establish the research projects outlined in this application. The preliminary data we will generate with the help of this award will be vital as we seek future research support. Background: My academic and research experience makes me well positioned to develop the cross- disciplinary research program outlined in this application. My graduate research focused on the development of new chemical reactions and the application of these transformations in the construction of complex organic molecules. As a postdoctoral fellow, I have used my synthetic skills to create a new class of nanoscale mimetics of cell-surface glycoproteins for microarray applications. During this work, I became familiar with carbohydrate and polymer synthesis, microarray fabrication, and a number of methods for surface and soft nanomaterials characterization. In addition, I have helped establish and run a synthetic laboratory at the Molecular Foundry, gaining an invaluable experience for the future, when I start my own research laboratory. Research: The attached research proposal outlines the design of nanoscale surrogates of proteoglycans (which I term neoPGs) and their use as cellular function modulators in tissue engineering scaffolds, as imaging agents for early cancer detection, and as novel macromolecular templates for nanocrystal growth and nanocomposites assembly. Proteoglycans perform all these functions in living organisms; however, harnessing their unique capabilities for medical purposes has so far proved challenging. Their structural complexity, compositional and functional heterogeneity, and non-template biosynthesis limits their applicability in biomedical research. My proposal outlines a simple synthetic strategy that translates the basic architectural features responsible for proteoglycans' biological function into nanoscale polymeric neoPGs. Taking advantage of the technological power of microarrays, and my skills in building them, my team will construct a neoPG chip, to rapidly interrogate a library of neoPG structures for their ability to exert desirable biological properties. In three specific projects, we will demonstrate neoPGs' broad utility and their potential for biomedical research. Training: The K99 training component of this award will be critical during my transition to the independent phase of my academic career. The biomedical focus of the research I intend to pursue necessitates that I become proficient in the topics and techniques of molecular and cell biology. The proposed training under the mentorship of Prof. Bertozzi will help me attain these skills. The nanoimaging techniques I will acquire through collaboration with Dr. James De Yoreo at the Molecular Foundry will enable my research team to design materials that match the dimensions of biological building blocks and explore new ways to engineer biological interfaces. The numerous professional and career development resources available through LBNL and UC Berkeley and my stellar mentoring committee assembled from experts in molecular biology, biomaterials, nanoscience, and tissue engineering will be an invaluable asset, while I seek a faculty position in the US and as I launch my own independent career. Environment: As a member of the Bertozzi lab, I will have access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the Molecular Foundry and the resources and instrumentation of UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry. The scientific excellence and diversity of the Bertozzi research team, its well-established record of high-impact contributions to the fields of chemical and molecular biology, and the highly collaborative atmosphere Prof. Bertozzi fosters in her group will facilitate my rapid progress in molecular and cell biology training. Collaboration with Dr. James DeYoreo at the Molecular Foundry and the expertise of the Foundry's scientific staff will provide an important support, as I undertake my training in nanomaterials imaging and characterization. Finally, UC Berkeley's renowned academic and scientific community provides a vibrant environment, in which to exchange ideas, forge collaborations, and explore new frontiers in science and will undoubtedly contribute to my professional growth.

Public Health Relevance

Proteoglycans (PGs) are an important component of the matrix that envelops living cells. One of their roles is to inform cells' internal decision-making (e.g., when to divide, differentiate, grow, migrate, die, etc.) by presenting them with external biochemical cues. PGs hold great promise as biomaterials for medical applications; however, due to their structural complexity and synthetic inaccessibility, they have been largely neglected. The proposal in this application outlines the design and synthesis of a novel class of nanoscale PG mimetics, neoProteoglycans, for applications in regenerative medicine and bioimaging.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Type
Research Transition Award (R00)
Project #
5R00EB013446-05
Application #
8916112
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (NSS)
Program Officer
Hunziker, Rosemarie
Project Start
2013-09-01
Project End
2016-08-31
Budget Start
2015-09-01
Budget End
2016-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$237,934
Indirect Cost
$84,428
Name
University of California San Diego
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
804355790
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92093
Raitman, Irene; Huang, Mia L; Williams, Selwyn A et al. (2018) Heparin-fibronectin interactions in the development of extracellular matrix insolubility. Matrix Biol 67:107-122
Huang, Mia L; Michalak, Austen L; Fisher, Christopher J et al. (2018) Small Molecule Antagonist of Cell Surface Glycosaminoglycans Restricts Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells in a Pluripotent State. Stem Cells 36:45-54
Cohen, Miriam; Fisher, Christopher J; Huang, Mia L et al. (2016) Capture and characterization of influenza A virus from primary samples using glycan bead arrays. Virology 493:128-35
Huang, Mia L; Godula, Kamil (2016) Nanoscale materials for probing the biological functions of the glycocalyx. Glycobiology 26:797-803
Huang, Mia L; Fisher, Christopher J; Godula, Kamil (2016) Glycomaterials for probing host-pathogen interactions and the immune response. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 241:1042-53
Cohen, Miriam; Senaati, Hooman P; Fisher, Christopher J et al. (2016) Synthetic Mucus Nanobarriers for Identification of Glycan-Dependent Primary Influenza A Infection Inhibitors. ACS Cent Sci 2:710-714
Huang, Mia L; Cohen, Miriam; Fisher, Christopher J et al. (2015) Determination of receptor specificities for whole influenza viruses using multivalent glycan arrays. Chem Commun (Camb) 51:5326-9
Paszek, Matthew J; DuFort, Christopher C; Rossier, Olivier et al. (2014) The cancer glycocalyx mechanically primes integrin-mediated growth and survival. Nature 511:319-25
Huang, Mia L; Godula, Kamil (2014) Priming the cellular glycocalyx for neural development. ACS Chem Neurosci 5:873-5
Huang, Mia L; Smith, Raymond A A; Trieger, Greg W et al. (2014) Glycocalyx remodeling with proteoglycan mimetics promotes neural specification in embryonic stem cells. J Am Chem Soc 136:10565-8

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