Integrative Graduate
Education and
Research Traineeship

Highlight

Chemically Directed Immobilization of Nanoparticles onto Gold Substrates

Figure 1. Bright-field and fluorescence images HeLa cancer cells

Projects:

Research and Innovation in Nanoscale Device Development

Institution:

University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Primary Strategic Goal:

Discovery: Foster research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge, emphasizing areas of greatest opportunity and potential benefit and establishing the Nation as a global leader in fundamental transformational science and engineering.

Secondary Strategic Goal:

Learning: Build the Nation's research capability through critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyber infrastructure, and experimental tools.

Achievement/Results

Prof. Rotello and his NSF funded researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a dendrimer-nanoparticle hybrid scaffold based on robust dithiocarbamate formation for utilization in drug delivery systems. The composite films indicate intriguing incorporation features for various drug molecules and provide well-controlled and sustained drug release in biological systems. Their payload properties and release behaviors can be easily tuned by altering the dendrimer generation and the size of gold nanoparticles. Successful cellular uptake of doxorubicin and the high efficiency of the dendrimer-nanoparticle composite films were observed upon incubation with cancer cell lines. The integration of highly permeable nature of dendrimers with smart gold nanoparticles which are non-toxic and easily modifiable provides an attractive delivery platform for various biomedical surfaces and coatings.

Address Goals

This work addresses the primary NSF strategic goal by developing the technology that allows the creation of large surface areas that could bind fluorescent molecules which increases efficiency and sensitivity for applications in nanosensors and biosensors. The secondary goal was adddressed not only by the research training of this particular individual (Brian Creran), but also by his outreach to the K-12 community though his participation with other IGERT fellows in a day-long outreach program for a local high school.