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

This grant will provide a research-grade light scattering instrument allowing new experiments to be conducted at Dalhousie University. These will examine the size and shape of individual molecules, clusters of molecules or particles in a liquid environment. All 7 co-applicants and their 49 trainees, ranging from undergraduate student to professional research associate, with interests spanning the biomedical and life sciences to fundamental and applied materials chemistry will be able to immediately take advantage of this instrument.In one major area of application, this instrument will be used to study proteins, such as spider silks, viral proteins, and enzymes, with potential for new biomedical or biotechnological applications. Researchers will gain the ability to track changes in the size and shape of these proteins in real time as they act by binding to each other; form biologically active fibres, gels or droplets; interact with membranes; or, bind small molecules.In parallel, the light scattering instrument will allow researchers to monitor particles that are a tiny fraction of the width of a human hair. The fundamental behaviour of natural protein or fatty acid molecules and of specifically designed metal particles of this tiny nature will be studied, including the speed of particle formation, their exact size, the degree to which size is being controlled, and their longevity. The information gained using light scattering is essential for re-engineering and production of new molecules with desirable properties. Direct applications include improved environmental-friendliness of products, packaging drug molecules for safe delivery to a diseased tissue, and new energy storage materials for applications such as solar panels. This instrument will be installed in Dalhousie University's Proteomics Core Facility, providing ready access to the co-applicants and to many other researchers at Dalhousie and beyond. Rather than simply providing results as a service, the Core Facility will fully support trainees' development of the valuable expertise to use the instrument and to analyze the resulting data.