| NSF Org: |
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | March 3, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 8, 2012 |
| Award Number: | 0959422 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Leon Esterowitz
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | March 15, 2010 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2013 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $351,764.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $351,764.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| ARRA Amount: | $351,764.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1340 ADMINISTRATION AVE FARGO ND US 58105 (701)231-8045 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1340 ADMINISTRATION AVE FARGO ND US 58105 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Major Research Instrumentation |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
0959422
Mallik
"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
This collaborative proposal from the North Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota requests funds to purchase an automatic isothermal titration microcalorimeter (auto-ITC200 from Microcal/GE Healthcare Biosciences) for Biomaterials research and education. The proposed instrument determines binding parameters (i.e., stoichiometry, association constant, enthalpy and entropy) in a single experiment, employing a very small sample size (5-10 g per experiment). The instrument determines binding constants in the range 102 - 109 M - 1 and the limit can be further enhanced by employing competitive binding techniques. It is fully automated to run 50 samples per day.
Currently, 10 faculty researchers (25 graduate and 20 undergraduate students) at NDSU and USD are studying the interactions of peptide nanofibers, lipid- and polymer-based nanoparticles with proteins, DNA fragments, aptamers and antibodies. Complete thermodynamic characterization of the binding is a critical need for all of these research projects. However, the only ITC available is located in the Biochemistry Department at NDSU and the instrument is more than 12 years old (VP ITC from MicroCal Inc., purchased in 1997) and the injection assembly is not communicating properly with the control computer. The instrument is inadequate to satisfy the needs of the growing numbers of Biomaterials researchers of the two universities. In addition, this instrument is not set-up as a cost-center and often the access is fairly restricted. The proposed auto-ITC200 instrument will ensure that the faculty researchers and their students at NDSU and USD have access to a state-of-the-art microcalorimeter. This will also impart appropriate training to the graduate and the undergraduate students at both universities. The proposed instrument will be set-up as a cost-center and the generated user fees will be used for maintenance and upgrade. To effectively share the instrument between NDSU and USD, cyber infrastructure-based protocol will be followed for time allocation, data processing and data retrieval using the North Dakota NSF EPSCoR supported, high-speed network connection.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Project Outcomes:
This award allowed us to purchase two advanced instruments for education and research. The instruments were manufactured in the US.
The first instrument (an ultra-sensitive micro-calorimeter) determines the binding between two molecules in solution. We have used this instrument to measure the binding between: genes and carrier polymers, anticancer drugs and delivery polymers, serum proteins and various drugs. These studies have allowed us to prepre better polymers for delivering genes and anti-cancer drugs to monolayer and three-dimensional cultures of cancer cells.
The second instrument (an ultrasensitive differential scanning calorimeter) determines the thermal stability of polymers, lipids, proteins and other molecules in aqueous solutions. We have used this machine to determine the stabilities of polymers, genes, lipids, lipid-based nanoparticles and proteins. The results from these experiments have allowed us to prepare lipid nanopartciles to detect contaminants in heparin (a common blood thinner), to prepare polymers for controlled and sustained release of insulin and to understand the interactions between serum proteins and various drugs. We have also studied the interactions between lipid nanoparticles and verious carbohydrates employing the differential scanning calorimeter.
We have trained more than 10 graduate and 5 undergrsduate students (including one Native American female undergraduate student) to use these two advanced instruments. The contents of two undergraduate and two graduate courses modified to include discussions about these two equipment and their potential use in research.
Last Modified: 11/26/2013
Modified by: Sanku Mallik
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