NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Singapore

Crockett Stephanie D, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Stephanie Crockett of University of California Davis to conduct a research project in Biology during the summer of 2013 at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The project title is "Novel Chemotherapeutic Agent Delivery and Imaging System Using Nanoparticles and Photothermal Therapy." The host scientist is Dr. Yanli Zhao at the School of Materials Science & Engineering. The goal of this project is to test the novel delivery system designed by Dr. Yanli Zhao of multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles with the therapeutic potential of sulfasalazine and curcumin and for the targeted treatment of cancer cells. The intellectual merit is in the design to combine fields: targeted drug delivery/photothermal therapy and advanced therapeutic imaging of novel therapeutic anti-cancer agents. Through the use of human glioma cells expressing red fluorescent protein (U251-RFP) in embryos zebrafish, this project is able to visually track targeting, and quantitatively measure the effective kill effect of the system using a whole body system. This technology can be used for non-invasive cancer treatments that in the near future may be used to save thousands of lives Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the Fellow anticipates that the discoveries of this research will provide the foundation for future collaborations with a broad range of international scientists in this multidisciplinary field of study.