Rutgers IGERT Program

Crossdisciplinary Bridging:
Inorganic Chemistry, Protein Biochemistry, Surface Science, Ceramics

Nanometer sized organic-inorganic materials that mimic biological systems can make use of highly precise biomolecular recognition properties to form self-assembled nanoscale electronic devices. Non-lithographic fabrication of miniaturized electronic devices and sensors can be achieved using biological nanotubes. However, the free-standing nanowires that connect nanoscale devices are challenging to fabricate at the sub-nanometer scale, partly because conventional nanotubes are insoluble in aqueous solutions. In this approach, water-soluble, peptide-based nanotubes, are generated, and then functionalized with various recognition components. The tubular size will be controlled by using inorganic-organic template materials (RPMs) that contain one-dimensional open channels of varying diameters (1-10 nm), then functionalized with proteins. Separately, gold electrodes will be patterned on SiO2 substrates and antibodies to the proteins functionalized onto the nanotubes will be self-assembled onto the substrates. The nanotubes will then be incubated with the gold electrodes in solution to interconnect the electrodes, and the conductivity and quantum behavior of the molecular wires studied after coating via electroless processes. To analyze the chemical nanoenvironment within the RPM pores, bulk and single molecule fluorescence studies of solvatochromic dyes entrapped, and femtosecond optical Kerr effect studies will be conducted.

Major Events

IRIF: Nir Nativ, Thurs., 4/15 in BME-122, 12-1PM
Project Description to follow.

IRIF: Bioindustry Ethics Luncheon, Tues., 4/6 in BME-122, 12-1PM
Dean David Finegold from Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations will be continuing his series on Bioindustry Ethics as it relates to stem cell research.

IRIF: Mohamed Sadik, Thurs., 4/1 in BME-122, 12-1PM
Project Description to follow.

IRIF: Ryan Gleason, Thurs., 3/11 in BME-122, 12-1PM

View all major events >>

More News

BME Graduate Student Awarded NJCSCR Fellowship
BME graduate student and IGERT fellow, Jeffrey Barminko, has been awarded a predoctoral fellowship from the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research for his project entitled “Encapsulated MSCs for Spinal Cord Injury Repair”. The 2 year, $60,000 fellowship will support Jeff, while he investigates approaches to augment MSC cyto-protective properties via novel methods for delivering MSC in vivo. Jeff is performing his studies under the guidance of Professors Martin Yarmush, Rene Schloss, and Martin Grumet. The Fellowship is slated to begin in June, 2010 at the conclusion of Jeff's support as an IGERT Fellow.

Congratulations!
IGERT Fellows Aaron Carlson and Mohamed Sadik took 1st and 3rd place (respectively) in the Poster Presentations at the 3rd Annual NJ Stem Cell Symposium held Thursday, September 24, 2009. Aaron Carlson's poster was titled “3-D Electrospun Polymer Scaffolds Promote Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Controlled Organization". Mohamed presented “Electroporation-Mediated Molecular Delivery”. Jonathan Davilla took 2nd place with “Identification of Biologically Functional microRNAs in Vicodin onlineHuman ESCs by Ago2 Immunoprecipitation and Sequencing”. The keynote address was delivered by Hakim Djaballah, PhD of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Congratulations to Professor Ki-Bum Lee, Stem Cell IGERT Faculty in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, who is the recipient of the NIH Director’s New Innovator award, 2009.
The NIH Director's New Innovator Award program is designed specifically to support unusually creative early stage investigators with highly innovative research ideas at an early stage of their career.

IGERT fellow wins award:
Congratulations to IGERT fellow Nicole Plourde who was recipient of the 2009 Schering-Plough Innovation Award. She was presented with an awards plaque and a check for $5000 at a ceremony on Thursday, April 16th.