Center for Biomedical Research Excellence in Multiscale Biomolecular Sensing (MBS) - OVERALL PLAN PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The ability to sense and respond to biological signals stands at the forefront of all aspects of human health and disease. Nature has evolved a host of mechanisms to sense changes in the environment ranging in scale from small molecule chemical cues, to protein-protein interactions, to larger physical changes in organs. Sensing and measurement of these biochemical processes in and between distinct cell types is critical to understanding and treating human diseases such as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders, and chronic pain. To understand these diseases, studies must reveal not only the chemical and biochemical reactions that are occurring, but also must resolve these events in time (relative to other biochemical events) and space (where in cells, tissues, and organs) and be able to simultaneously detect multiple unique processes. The Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Multiscale Biomolecular Sensing will unite experts in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, spectroscopy, materials science, and biomedical engineering to develop novel mechanisms and tools for sensing of biochemical and biological processes that will directly impact a wide range of human diseases. Projects in this COBRE will enable sensing across size scales from molecules to animals. This COBRE will: Aim 1: Accelerate fundamental research involving multi-scale sensing by supporting synergistic and multidisciplinary research projects. Aim 2: Enable research in biological sensing by establishing the Multiscale Biomolecular Sensing Research Core. Aim 3: Establish of a Robust Advisory Committee for Center Oversight. Aim 4: Amplify Faculty Success with Mentoring and Retention Programs, Recruitment, and Pilot Projects. Completion of this 5-year Phase I COBRE will establish Delaware as a leading research hub in multiscale biomolecular sensing. A state-of-the-art Research Core, innovative mentoring and retention techniques, supportive leadership, and synergistic collaborations will create a robust and highly collaborative research community. This Center, and the studies that emerge from it, will illuminate biochemical pathways, enable deeper understanding of human disease states, and result in the development of novel treatments and technologies to improve human health.
