COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE INTERACTION OF SURFACES STRUCTURED AT THE NANOMETER SCALE WITH THE CELLS IN THE…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_2553553_049

FAIN

2553553

Recipient

LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Awarding agency

National Science Foundation

Funding agency

National Science Foundation

Assistance listing (CFDA)

47.041

Total obligated

$422,247

Period

Sep 15, 2025 – Dec 31, 2026

Fiscal year

2025

Place of performance state

MI

Source file

FY2025_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE INTERACTION OF SURFACES STRUCTURED AT THE NANOMETER SCALE WITH THE CELLS IN THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT -THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO AND BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW NANOMATERIALS IMPACT CELLULAR ACTIVITIES IN COMPARISON TO LARGER MATERIALS. IN THIS REGARD, THE PIS WILL INVESTIGATE THE INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL FACTORS OF NANOMATERIALS IN TERMS OF ADHESION AND SPREAD OF CELLS AND SYNTHESIS OF PROTEINS. THE RESEARCH TEAM PROPOSES THAT THE NANOMATERIAL SURFACE HAS HIGH SURFACE ENERGY, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GREATER ATTACHMENT AND GROWTH OF CELLS AND ENHANCED FORMATION OF DIFFERENT PROTEINS. THE UNDERSTANDING OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN NANOMATERIALS AND CELLS WILL PROMOTE NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE FIELD OF MEDICAL IMPLANTS. AN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN NANOSCIENCE WILL BE DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCH TEAM TO PROMOTE TRAINING, EDUCATION AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO AND BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE WITH A FOCUS ON UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WORKING TOGETHER WITH GRADUATES AND UNDERGRADUATES WILL ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF NANOSCIENCE AND ITS APPLICATION TO MEDICAL IMPLANTS FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO ACQUIRE A MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAVORABLE MODULATION OF CELLULAR ACTIVITY ON A NANOGRAINED (NG) SURFACE IN RELATION TO COARSE-GRAINED (CG) COUNTERPART. THE PIS WILL TEST THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS THAT THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES OF NANOSCALE SURFACE COMPARED TO THE MICROSCALE COUNTERPART FAVORABLY ALTERS THE MECHANOSENSITIVITY OF THE CYTOSKELETON. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, THE PIS ARE PLANNING THREE SPECIFIC AIMS. IN THE FIRST AIM THE PIS ARE PLANNING TO UNCOVER THE MECHANISMS THAT WILL EXPLAIN HOW