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ObjectiveBy sub-areaBio-Molecular Imaging: New biology, physics, and applied mathematical insights from determining the ability to image below the diffraction limit. For example, a drawback of light microscopy is the fundamental limit of attainable spatial resolution, ~250 nm, dictated by the laws of diffraction. The challenge to break this diffraction limit has led to the development of several novel imaging techniques. One of them, near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), which allows fluorescence imaging at a resolution of only a few tens of nanometers and, because of the extremely small near-field excitation volume, reduces background fluorescence from the cytoplasm to the extent that single-molecule detection sensitivity becomes within reach. Bio-Electronics: New biology, physics, and applied mathematical insights that will allow for the advancement of bioelectronics by integrating biology and electronics knowledge to form unique technologies that enable scientific diversity amongst engineers, biologists, physicists, and mathematicians. In efforts of interest, cell-differentiation or “preferencing”, maximizing operation stability and effective inter-component signal transfer will be addressed. This effort intends to lead to new scientific discoveries in electromagnetism, fundamentals of biology, and organic component interface. Preliminary research indicates that bioelectric components maybe more cheaply produced, may have lower power dissipation, and may offer greater operation stability over their conventional inorganic electronic counterparts. Electromagnetic Perturbation: New biology, physics, and applied mathematical insights into cell membrane nano-poration from free plane wave, electromagnetic pulses. It is well understood that the application of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) into cells produces multifarious effects, including nuclear granulation, intracellular calcium bursts, cytoskeletal changes, stimulation of action potentials, blebbing and swelling, and initiation of apoptotic cell death. Recent studies demonstrated that nsPEF exposure forms small, recoverable pores in the plasma membrane, termed nanopores, which allow passage of small ions for minutes after exposure. Today these results are conducted by the direct application of pulsed electric fields, and yet to be demonstrated with plane free standing waves. Quantum Biology: New biology, physics, and applied mathematical insights into the quantum processes at work in biological systems. For example, since Hodgkin and Huxley created their quantitative theory in 1952, neurons have been viewed as electrical transmission entities that relay information throughout the organism. Their theory states that action potentials result from the flow of ions through their respective voltage-sensitive ion channels that open and close at specific membrane potentials. Communication between neurons is then thought to occur through ion trafficking between neuronal synapses. However, recent research has suggested that ion transport does not fully explain the mechanisms underlying neuronal signaling and that the explanation is more quantum mechanical in nature. Based upon the first two sub-areas above, new imaging capabilities, along free pulsed plane wave stimulation understanding can couple well to determining the response of these biological components to applied electromagnetic fields and thus the quantum nature of the communication between molecular and atomic level components of biological systems.
SolicitationBAA-AFOSR-2014-001
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Contact InformationDr. William Roach AFRL/AFOSR/RTB (703) 588-8302DSN 425-8302FAX (703) 696-8481E-mail: biophysics@afosr.af.mil