Area:
Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
We are testing a new system for linking grants to scientists.
The funding information displayed below comes from the
NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools and the
NSF Award Database.
The grant data on this page is limited to grants awarded in the United States and is thus partial. It can nonetheless be used to understand how funding patterns influence mentorship networks and vice-versa, which has deep implications on how research is done.
You can help! If you notice any innacuracies, please
sign in and mark grants as correct or incorrect matches.
Sign in to see low-probability grants and correct any errors in linkage between grants and researchers.
High-probability grants
According to our matching algorithm, Jennifer Fiegel is the likely recipient of the following grants.
Years |
Recipients |
Code |
Title / Keywords |
Matching score |
2012 — 2013 |
Fiegel, Jennifer |
R21Activity Code Description: To encourage the development of new research activities in categorical program areas. (Support generally is restricted in level of support and in time.) |
Development of Los-Modified Nanoparticles For Improved Airway Epithelial Uptake
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Current vector strategies used to deliver the CFTR gene to the airway epithelium to treat cystic fibrosis are plagued with low levels and limited duration of gene expression. Successful gene delivery in the respiratory tract is a complex process hindered by multiple extracellular and intracellular barriers. Unfortunately, improvements to gene vectors are most often guided by empirical findings, leaving the complex processes that ultimately dictate the output (protein production) unstudied. A better understanding of the transport processes and the barriers that gene carriers must overcome is necessary if higher efficiency vectors are to be engineered. A major limitation in the development of vectors for targeting the respiratory tissues has been insufficient consideration of the role that mucosal and cellular chemical interactions play in determining nanoparticle fate in the respiratory tract. The long-term goal of this research is the responsible design of next-generation nanoscale materials for gene therapy in the respiratory tract. The goal of this proposal is the optimization of the physicochemical properties of nanoparticle carriers to achieve low mucosal binding, while retaining epithelial uptake in respiratory environments. This problem will be tackled by 1) determining key nanomaterial physicochemical properties that predict local fate in lung epithelial cells under physiologically- relevant conditions, and 2) determining the biochemical mechanism(s) responsible for modification of nanoparticle surface properties in respiratory mucus. We will combine polymer and biological chemistry with spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to improve our understanding of the physical processes that determine nanoparticle fate in the respiratory tract. Raman spectroscopy will be used to quantify the adsorption of respiratory mucosal components on nanoparticle surfaces in real-time. Using confocal and transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle transport to respiratory epithelial cells submerged in natural secretions will be observed and quantified. This will be among the very first efforts to correlate nanomaterial surface changes in a physiologically relevant environment to biodistribution through in vitro mechanistic studies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research is relevant to public health because it will improve the knowledge base regarding extracellular barriers that limit the effectiveness of gene nanocarriers and enable better design of nanocarriers for efficient gene therapy. This is relevant to the part of NIH's mission that pertains to developing fundamental knowledge that will reduce burden of illness.
|
0.957 |
2013 — 2014 |
Fiegel, Jennifer |
R21Activity Code Description: To encourage the development of new research activities in categorical program areas. (Support generally is restricted in level of support and in time.) |
Synergistic Drug Strategies Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilms
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is a fundamental gap in understanding the extent to which treatment of bacterial biofilms with combinations of drug compounds may synergistically kill the biofilm colonies. Continued existence of this gap represents an important problem because, until it is filled, the development of co-therapy systems for clinical use in chronic infections will be delayed. The long term goal of this research is to develop novel and effective inhalable strategies for the treatment of respiratory infections. The objective in this application is to identify compounds that, when delivered in combination, more effectively eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Our central hypothesis is that delivery of selected dispersion compounds will increase the sensitivity of P. aeruginosa to antibiotic treatment, resulting in improved outcomes in a murine model. This hypothesis has been formulated on the basis of preliminary data produced in the applicants' laboratories. Once it is known which combinations of compounds can synergistically enhance biofilm killing in vitro and in vivo, new treatment strategies based on these compounds can be clinically developed. The proposed research is innovative because it focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics with the use of dispersion compounds that target disruption of the biofilm. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to provide knowledge needed for the clinical development of inhalable co-delivery aerosols for the treatment of bacterial biofilms.
|
0.957 |
2020 — 2023 |
Fiegel, Jennifer Roman, David (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Bioinspired Nanoparticle Polymer Coating to Enhance Targeting to the Lung Epithelium
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY To effectively treat disease, drug molecules must accumulate in sufficient amounts at a specific site in the body. To achieve this, tiny vehicles called carriers are often needed, but unwanted interactions within the body often limit their effectiveness. This project uses knowledge of the molecular interactions between bacterial/viral pathogens and human cells during human infection to design bioinspired polymer coatings for drug carriers. The project will provide deeper insight into chemical structures that simultaneously limit biofouling on the carrier surface and enhance attachment of carriers to human cells. Longer term, these results will enable the development of nanocarriers that can provide better treatment of disease by decreasing the amount of drug required for treatment and limiting side effects. This project will have a direct impact on the educational experience of students at various levels. Two graduate students will perform research for their Ph.D. theses and several undergraduate students from underrepresented groups will participate in the research. Further, a K-12 outreach program in engineering and science will utilize concepts from the research during camps throughout the state of Iowa and provide graduate and undergraduate students with opportunities for teacher training. Research results and discoveries will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at local, national, and international conferences.
TECHNICAL SUMMARY Current drug delivery strategies to target specific cells within the body are plagued by low levels of drug accumulation in the areas they are most needed. When drug carriers enter the body and interact with biological fluids, biofouling of the carrier surface occurs and new surface properties develop that control the carrier?s subsequent bio-interactions and fate. Our lack of knowledge of how to design drug carriers with appropriate properties to trigger and mediate their interactions within complex biological environments has significantly hindered progress towards efficient drug delivery. The goal of this proposal is to design a surface coating for nanocarriers to simultaneously address issues of biofouling and cell uptake in complex biological environments. Bioinspired polymeric ligands containing molecular structures that mimic the surfaces of respiratory pathogens known to efficiently penetrate human fluids and the lung epithelium will be developed. The ability of ligand-coated nanoparticle to target lung epithelial cells submerged in natural secretions will be experimentally observed and quantified. Two independent techniques will be pursued to evaluate the molecular recognition of the ligands. First, a high-throughput, optical biosensor technique will quantify the real-time cellular responses to receptor-ligand interactions in living cells. Second, a 3-D homology modeling approach will elucidate the ability of the ligands to dock into the receptor binding pocket. Results from these studies will provide insight into chemical structures that mediate the binding and activation of receptor-mediated processes. Through biomolecular mimicry, the proposed studies will lead to more efficient design of ligands that will enhance nanocarrier delivery.
This project is jointly funded by the Biomaterials Program in the Division of Materials Research, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Polymers Program in the Division of Materials Research.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
|
0.957 |