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

Chu Wai K, San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Wai Keung Chu of the University of California at San Diego to conduct a research project in Engineering during the summer of 2013 at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The project title is "Analyzing Single Cells from Unculturable Samples." The host scientist is Professor Peng Liu. Relatively few unculturable species of bacteria have been discovered and sequenced due to conventional approaches that require many cells from "clonal" cultures. A Lab-on-a-Chip device has proven the concept to identify some known species of bacteria from a mixed population of uncultured bacteria by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and flow cytometry integration (FlowFISH). This project integrates on-chip cell sorting to FlowFISH that attempts to isolate a targeted uncultured single cell for polymeric chain reaction (PCR) characterization. This project will allow quick and direct detection of bacteria that appear in uncultured samples, such as water, soil, or different clinical samples from the human body. The benefits to society may include quicker response to bacterial contamination in the environment and elucidation of the relationship between disease and human microbiome. 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 resulting publications of this technology will be shared in the public domain, and among the scientific communities which attempt to detect uncultured samples, such as water, soil, or different clinical samples from the human body.