Sanjeev Mukerjee - US grants

This action supports an ultra-high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) for research, education, and training in nanoscience and biotechnology. Twenty faculty from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering will use the instrument to carry out research on several projects. Research areas include bacterial biofilms, microbial diversity in marine environments, protozoan biochemistry and metabolism, nanostructures in spintronic materials, collective electrodynamics of nanostructured oxides and borides, metal-insulator transition in two-dimensional semiconductors, novel green routes to the synthesis of conducting polymers, chemical vapor deposition of metals, and structure-property relations of thin films for electronic applications.

The SEM will facilitate research programs that are supported by awards from several Federal agencies: NSF, AFOSR, ONR, DOE, NIH, as well as from industrial companies and private foundations. The instrument will catalyze new interdisciplinary collaborations in nanoscience and biotechnology. The SEM will be integrated into interdisciplinary graduate courses in nanotechnology and biotechnology offered by several departments. It will be used in undergraduate laboratory courses, undergraduate projects and co-op internships. The SEM will be integrated into the "Building Bridges" and the ACS Project SEED outreach programs for middle and high school students, and the Connections. Program for women and underrepresented populations.

With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities -Multiuser Instrument Acquisition (CRIF-MU) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Northeastern University will acquire an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer. Faculty will use this instrument to carry out research in several areas as follows: a) electrostatic mapping of proteins by high field EPR spin labeling; b) mechanism of AP endonuclease interaction with abasic DNA; c) structural changes in the estrogen receptor with drug binding; d) dynamics of drug interactions with bulge-forming DNA; e) characterization of novel materials for spintronic devices; f) measurements of interfacial interactions in nanocomposite fuel cell and catalytic membranes; g) characterization of conducting polymers synthesized by green chemistry; and h) EPR of novel magnetic materials.

An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer yields information on the molecular and electronic structure of molecules. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of free radicals, short-lived species that are often essential for the initiation of tumor growth and/or a variety of chemical reactions. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, from nanoscience to materials chemistry and biotechnology.

Nanomedicine is a new interdisciplinary paradigm emerging from the timely convergence of two parallel recent developments - the decoding of the human genome that has led to greater understanding of the molecular basis of medicine and biology, and nanotechnology, which offers the means to control molecular interactions. IGERT Nanomedical Science and Technology is a new integrated doctoral education program that emphasizes interdisciplinary research training in diverse areas including nanostructured materials, nanomagnetism, cell biology and trafficking, optical microscopy and imaging, sensors and diagnostic systems, drug and gene targeting and delivery, and synthesis and surface functionalization and characterization of nanostructures, and theoretical computational modeling. Significant research breakthroughs are anticipated in cellular biosensors, magnetic bio-control, drug delivery, mitochondrial gene therapy, bio-nano machines and nanomanufacturing. Interdisciplinary pedagogical coursework is integrated with practical real-world experience through graduate internships in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies and research hospitals, with co-mentoring by industrial and medical research scientists. A key feature is a strong diversity component, incorporating significant involvement of women and minorities in the student body and the teaching, mentoring, and administrative aspects of the project. The program aims to educate the next generation of scientists and technologists with the requisite skill sets to address scientific and engineering challenges, with the necessary business, ethical and global perspectives that will be needed, in the rapidly emerging area of applying nanotechnology to human health. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.

This is an award for developing a pulsed high-field quasioptical Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectrometer for research, education, and training in biotechnology and nanomaterials. Five faculty will use the instrument to carry out research in several areas as follows: Electrostatic mapping of proteins by high-field spin labeling; Characterization of novel materials for spintronic devices; Measurements of interfacial interactions in nanocomposite fuel cell and catalytic membranes; Characterization of protein-based nanodevices. The extension to pulsed methodology will provide important capabilities that will lead to new applications in biotechnology and materials science. These include (1) detailed characterization of spin-spin distances and distance distributions on the molecular scale using double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, (2) the ability to measure the microscopic local electric field at a label introduced into a protein or nanostructure using the linear electric field effect (LEFE), (3) high resolution of detailed dynamic behavior in macromolecules and nanostructures via spin relaxation measurements. The instrument will be operated as a continuation of the existing continuous-wave high-field ESR facility at the university.

This award will implement a training program for the rapidly growing research area of high-field ESR. Internships will be available for students to increase the breadth of their training in new high-field ESR methods. The university has a co-op education program, and qualified undergrads will do their co-op semester in the ESR facility. The university has many outreach programs for underrepresented groups, including students in the inner city area.