Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The research facilities requested are to support the research program described in the Discovery Grant proposal entitled "Novel Nanostructured Systems for Biomedical and Chemical Applications". The program seeks to develop polymeric nanostructures for drug/gene delivery applications, and functional nanoparticles for protein and water purification processes. The novelty of this proposal lies in our attempt to create molecules, then study and apply them to real systems. The research, when successfully executed will result in improved understanding of delivery systems/payload interactions that will have an impact on the development of better delivery systems.The development of such systems for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and genetic disorders is not only of substantial benefit to public health, but can also be economically exploited.The requested infrastructure is comprised of equipment that were not requested in the applicant's CFI due to budget constraints, yet the enclosed list of equipment is essential for complete implementation of the proposed research. The rotary evaporator and water purification system are needed for polymer synthesis and sample preparation respectively. The surface tensiometer provides key information on the critical micelle concentration of block copolymers, which is an important parameter describing their self-assembly behavior. The automatic U-tube viscometer is needed to determine the polymer-solvent interactions, and molecular dimension of polymeric nanostructures (e.g. intrinsic viscosity, Huggins interaction parameters etc). These, together with other physical properties obtained from other equipment (such as calorimeters, laser light scattering) to be purchased from the CFI/ORF funding will enhance our understanding on the self-assembly behavior of block copolymers and molecular properties of polymeric nanostructures. Experimental data gathered from these critical instruments will enable us to derive important fundamental insights on the self-assembly and microstructure of polymeric nanostructured materials. Such knowledge will enhance the development of innovative drug delivery systems or novel separation media that will benefit all Canadians.