MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Nanoparticle Tracking Analyzer to Enhance Nanomaterial Research

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a Nanoparticle Tracking Analyzer (NTA). The instrument will be used to measure the size and concentration of nanomaterials. Given the importance of these properties, the instrument capabilities will benefit research on a broad range of nanomaterial applications. It will enable the formulation of nanomaterial products for better quality and performance. The exposure risks of nanomaterials to humans or the environment will also be assessed with this instrument. The instrument will impact regional collaborations on research, education, and training along the ~100-mile I-20 corridor in North Louisiana. The institutes involved include the only engineering program, the only school of pharmacy, one of the only two public medical schools, and one well-known Historically Black University in that region. Research from eight groups will be enabled by the instrument, benefiting 5 post-doctoral researchers, 31 graduate students, and 60 undergraduate students. Instrument training will be disseminated through courses offered on the four participating campuses. The instrument will engage a diverse set of students in research training. Compared to other techniques on size and concentration measurement, the NTA instrument allows real-time analysis of polydisperse samples with a size range of 10 nm - 1 µm. This makes it a useful tool to promote the research productivity and competitiveness of faculty in the involved institutions and their NSF-funded projects. Specifically, it will enhance: (1) biomanufacturing extracellular vesicles with high throughput and large quantity, and their use in sensing biological signals of host cells and cell therapy; (2) quantifying and regulating formula, surface properties, and types of novel pharmaceutical nanocarriers for drugs, genes, and vaccine applications; and (3) assessing formula of nanocarbon in 3D printing ink, and monitoring nanoplastics in water as well as their removal performance in novel filtration systems. This instrument also allows the team to train highly qualified professionals to meet the present and future needs of the workforce in healthcare, pharmaceutics, advanced materials, nanomanufacturing, and environmental protection. Its success will benefit these industries and business sectors located in Louisiana to improve its economy and environment. This project is jointly funded by the Major Instrumentation Research Program (MRI), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI). 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.