This proposal from an interdisciplinary group of faculty in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Biology at Saint Louis University (SLU), a PhD-granting institution, requests funding for an atomic force microscope (AFM) with an inverted microscope capable of epifluorescence and brightfield, which will be used both for research and to train undergraduate and graduate students. The projects that would use the AFM include research to 1) characterize the properties of 3D synthethic scaffolds that enhance and direct nerve extension; 2) identify and characterize the effect of electric fields on nerve growth; 3) develop microchip-based analysis systems that enable cell culture and have the ability to analyze neurochemicals released from cells; 4) use tissue engineering to study chronic disease, illness, and injury; 5) examine properties of pores in materials designed for immobilization of enzymes for biofuel cells; 6) examine binding between proteins that mediate cell adhesion; and 7) develop polymeric biomaterial coatings and orthopaedic constructs for fracture healing and vertebral fusion.
