Advanced Probes Apexed by Carbon Nanotubes for Biomaterials Science and Cellular

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal is to develop a series of advanced probes tailored for biomaterials characterization, cell imaging, and site-specific single cell surgery. The very top or the apex of each probe is engineered to have one or multiple carbon nanotubes whose geometry and mechanics are engineered based on the applications' needs. The specific goal for this SBIR Phase I is to manufacture CNT based SPM probes with superior control over their geometry and mechanics, and as such those probes are suitable for applications that are otherwise difficult to realize: e.g. bioimaging, single cell surgery, triggering and probing cellular signaling process and ultimately cellular behaviors. Three projects are planned: (1) Production of single CNT based AFM probes for high-resolution imaging; (2) Production of CNT based AFM probes for their applications in site specific cell penetration; (3) Production of AFM probes consisting of two CNTs at the apex and their applications in studying cellular signaling processes. These projects will be accomplished by the joint effort of COVS (advanced fabrication of CNT based probes) and UCD (high resolution imaging of biomaterials and cells, as well as investigation of cell mechanics and signaling at the single cell level). This collaboration has demonstrated the proof-of-principle and the proposed effort should reveal the superiority and application potential of those probes. The advantages of utilizing these probes over current state-of-the-art include: (a) high resolution and large imaging range, due to the 1 nm diameter of the tube and high aspect ratio; (b) ability to penetrate an individual cell without perturbing its function; (c) ability to attain site specific penetration at single cell level, thus to enable drug delivery within individual cells and surgery at specific sites; (d) ability to support designed chemical functional groups to enhance contrast or to trigger specific cellular signaling process. Building on the success of Phase I, we plan to massively produce and commercialize CNT based probes in Phase II for generic application of bioimaging and soft materials imaging, as well as to produce customer specific single, double and multiple CNT based probes for the triggering and investigation of cellular biology research. We hope these CNT based probes will replace existing microfabricated AFM cantilevers in the arena of soft materials imaging, as well as provide new applications in cellular biology research, where the market potential of AFM application continue to grow rapidly. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: COVS plans to manufacture carbon nanotube (CNT) based AFM probes with customer desired geometry, length and mechanics. These probes have great potential in the structural characterization of soft materials such as proteins and cells as well as in site-specific penetration into cells, including cytoplasm and nuclei. This SBIR Phase I represents the initial steps of manufacturing CNT based AFM probes for their superior performance making them suitable for applications that are otherwise difficult to realize, e.g. bioimaging, single cell surgery, triggering and probing cellular signaling processes and ultimately cellular behaviors, of which are of great importance to human health.