15-11-2012, 11:58 AM
Biological Nanostructures Facility
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INTRODUCTION
This facility studies the synthesis, analysis and mimicry of biological nanostructures. Expertise and capabilities are available to develop new materials based on the self-assembly of peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and bio-inspired polymers. New bio-friendly imaging probes based on functionalized inorganic nanocrystals are being developed and are available to facilitate state-of-the-art bio-imaging studies. Synthetic biology techniques are used to re-engineer organisms and create hybrid biomolecules to interface with devices. Additional capabilities include synthesis of bio- and biomimetic polymers, bioconjugation, and combinatorial peptide and peptoid library synthesis and screening. Protein expression, microbial and eukaryotic cell culture, phage display, cellular engineering and biological microscopy, including total internal reflection and single molecule imaging are offered. Current research in this facility has three major focus areas: 1) engineering of microbes to produce nano-scale assemblies; 2) analysis of biological systems using new nanocrystal-based luminescent probes; and 3) mimicry of precise biological architectures with bio-inspired polymers.
Imaging and Manipulation of Nanostructures Facility Overview
This Facility’s staff applies and develops techniques to characterize and manipulate a broad variety of nanostructures, from hard to very soft matter, including liquid structures. Imaging methods span electron, optical and scanning probe microscopy, including combined electron-scanning probe and near-field optical-scanning probe instruments. In situ experiments are performed by combining microscopy with manipulation tools and controlled environments. Nanostructure characterization tools include advanced optical spectro-microscopy (linear, non-linear, tip-enhanced and pump-probe) and Auger and x-ray photoemission for surface analysis.
The Imaging and Manipulation Facility, through user projects and internal research, has worked to:
• optically characterize individual nanostructures, molecules and quantum objects;
• follow surface chemical reactions using combined electrical and force probing;
• use electron beams to perform local optical spectroscopy on semiconducting and plasmonic nanostrucures using SEM and TEM cathodoluminescence;
• make sensitive force measurements in fluid environments to investigate hydrophobic interactions and biochemical recognition;
• study nanomaterial structure with electron microscopy, including analytical measurements, variable temperature environments and electrical probing;
• develop novel scanning probes, including plasmonic antenna tips for near-field optical spectroscopy and low-dissipation cantilevers for sensitive force measurements in fluids
Inorganic Nanostructures Facility Overview
This Facility’s expertise lies in the areas of synthesis and characterization of nanocrystals, nanotubes and nanowires, including the preparation, characterization and applications of novel inorganic nanomaterials. Facility staff study the science of optimally preparing, characterizing and utilizing inorganic nanostructures, with an emphasis on semiconductor nanocrystals and nanowires, as well as carbon nanostructures, with controlled size, shape, connectivity and topology. Both staff and User research projects encompass the design, synthesis and materials characterization of new nanostructures, and the use of these in functional, multi-component devices. Robotic synthesis of nanocrystals and molecular metal chalcogenide clusters are also of particular interest.
Organic and Macromolecular Synthesis Facility Overview
This Facility’s expertise lies in instrumentation and techniques dedicated to the study of "soft" materials: organic molecules, macromolecules, polymers and their assemblies, with access to functional systems, photoactive, organic-inorganic hybrid and porous materials. The laboratories in this Facility house several glove boxes, polymerization reactors, and high-end instrumentation for purification and analysis of both small organic molecules and macromolecules.
The state-of-art electronic device laboratory houses equipment for solution and/or dry processing of devices, which include glove boxes, thermal evaporators, spin coaters, photovoltaic testing station, surface profiler, and spectrometers. Synthesis techniques range from "classical" organic to combinatorial to polymerizations in solution, bulk, emulsion and suspension.
This Facility’s internal research projects involve interfacing organic and inorganic materials and the construction of supramolecular materials using nanoscale building blocks and systems. Facility staff have developed nanoporous and microporous materials with controlled chemistry, porosity and pore size, as well as their application to the storage of hydrogen, the separation of macromolecules, ionization, and detection. They also study programmed self assembly of electro-active components into molecular and supramolecular nanostructures for advanced applications, such as molecular switches, highly ordered donor-acceptor arrays, 1D organic nanowires and higher order nanostructures.