Commonwealth Research Initiative

Biomedical Imaging

The Biomedical Imaging Division of the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences was established in 2006 under the direction of Ge Wang, the Samuel Reynolds Pritchard Professor of engineering. The division consists of the bioluminescence tomography (BLT) laboratory, computed tomography (CT) laboratory, and high-performance computing (HPC) laboratory. BLT is a technology developed by Wang that allows researchers to monitor tumor growth in animal models in order to observe the results of experimental therapy. It can also be used to measure specific cell behavior. The mission of the Biomedical Imaging Division is to define and advance biomedical imaging frontiers, especially related to optical molecular imaging and x-ray CT. An optimal balance is sought among theoretical studies, algorithm development, system prototyping, biomedical, and other applications.

Nanosensors and DNA detection

DNA is the substance that encodes the genetic information that cells need to replicate and to produce proteins. The detection of DNA sequences is of great importance in genetics, pathology, criminology, design of new medicines, public health, food safety, civil defense, and environmental monitoring. DNA detection is limited to research laboratories – but it is needed in the field. Several research groups are working on DNA sequence detection, featuring greater sequence specificity, cost efficiency, speed, and ease of use in the field – and even in direct in-cell application. CRI funds have been invested through the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) in the following projects:

The Center for Photonics Technology, directed by Anbo Wang, is collaborating with biochemistry associate professor Jake Tu, an expert on the mosquito genome, to develop highly-adaptable sensors. Specificity would be achieved by tethering a single strand of DNA to the sensing surface of a fiber monitored by a high speed picometer spectrometer. The goal is to monitor cellular processes. One of Tu’s projects is the introduction of genes that block transmission of disease into the mosquito.

Randy Heflin, professor of physics, is developing optical fibers with self-assembled films as biosensors. That is, molecules that can act as a probe will ironically self-assemble as a monolayer (ISAM) on an optical fiber as the substrate and can detect their complementary target molecules at concentrations less than a microgram/milliliter.

Nancy Love, professor of civil and environmental engineering, has received seed funding to develop sensors to detect pathogens and oxidative toxic agents in water. The projects are a collaboration between faculty members in the College of Engineering (Ishwar Puri and Brian Love) and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (Bev Rzigalinski). The pathogen detecting sensor (Puri and Love) is a microfluidic immunomagnetic separation device designed to remove and concentrate pathogens from water so that they can be detected and quantified. The oxidative stress sensor (N. Love, Rzigalinski, and B. Love) is a bacterial biosensor that would warn of toxins in water. The response of this sensor has been correlated with potential damage to animal and human cells, such as brain tissue..

Sanjay Raman in the Wireless Microsystems Laboratory at Virginia Tech and researchers at Pennsylvania State University are collaborating to develop distributed sensor networks for chemical and biological sensing. Wireless “electronic noses” would use nanoscale sensor devices to monitor different chemicals and gases and provide readouts over networks. "We are working to integrate nanosensors with smart silicon circuitry, so the sensor microsystem can sense, think, and communicate," Raman said. Independent sensing nodes can then be deployed in networks for situations ranging from exterior or interior environments and structures, to miniature, remotely piloted vehicles. The sensing networks can be used for real-time monitoring of vehicles and structures, such as roads or bridges, environmental monitoring for health and safety, and security and battlefield surveillance. Read more about the wireless "electronic noses."

Nano-Biotechnology / Nano-Medicine

“Nano-Biomaterials for the Delivery of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents” is a primary research thrust within ICTAS. Consequently, four innovative interdisciplinary programs connecting nanotechnology and health care are receiving initial seed funding from CRI through the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS).

targeted drug delivery to treat diseases due to intracellular bacterial pathogens and cancer (Nammalwar Sriranganathan, professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine; Gary Pickrell, assistant professor of materials science and engineering (MSE), Randy Heflin, professor of physics; and Ramanathan Kasimanickam, assistant professor or large animal clinical sciences);
creating cellulose nanocrystals linked to antibodies for immuno-targeting (Maren Roman, assistant professor of wood science, and Yong Woo Lee, assistant professor of biomedical engineering);
micro-injection of nanoparticles and use of real-time spectroscopy in biological systems (Giti A. Khodaparast, assistant professor of physics); and
engineered nanoconstructs for targeted regulation of intracellular free radical concentrations (Kathleen Meehan, assistant professor of electrical engineering; Richey Davis, associate professor, and David Cox, professor of chemical engineering; Judy Riffle, professor of chemistry; Marion Ehrich, professor of biomedical sciences; and Beverly Rzigalinski, pharmacologist with the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine).

ICTAS is also bringing these groups together collaborate on targeted delivery of nanomedicine. Judy Riffle is leading the team of chemists, physicists, biologists, and engineers who are striving to synthesize supramolecular constructs to impact cellular and biological interactions. She and Richey Davis are creating a tool that can be used by the team – an impingement jet mixer for the controlled synthesis of nanomaterial drug delivery systems. A fully-constructed and tested impingement jet mixer for fabricating nanoparticles is expected to be in operation by the end of the summer.

Nano-materials

Tim Long, professor of chemistry and director of the Virginia Tech Army Materials Center of Excellence, is also principal investigatory and co-director of the Ionic Liquids in Electro-Active Devices Multi-University Research Initiative (MURI), which is developing electronic nanodevices, special films that react to electricity like artificial muscles, smart clothes that breathe and wick moisture away, but quickly close up in response to a chemical or biological threat, and other novel materials. Matching funds from CRI and ICTAS plus advanced equipment purchased with CRI funds enabled the research group to win a multi-million dollar research grant from the Army Research Office. The MURI is charged to provide fundamental enabling science for future Army technologies. Senior researchers will focus in three areas: synthesis of materials and charged polymers; mechanical, electrical, and morphological characterization; performance of actuators, electro-optical devices, and membranes. Industrial collaborators include DuPont, IBM Almaden, Kraton Polymers, NexGen Aeronautics, BASF, and Discover Technologies.

Autonomous Systems

/The Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) at Virginia Tech invested CRI funds to assist in the establishment and operation of the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems, which hosts unmanned vehicle activities spanning every application domain: water, land, air, and space. Research ranges from fundamental control theory to vehicle development to applications for science, security, and commerce. For example, David Schmale, assistant professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science, is 1) monitoring the long-distance movement and survival of airborne plant pathogens, 2) investigating the origin and distribution of airborne plant pathogen populations, 3) implementing strong monitoring and disease control programs for airborne plant diseases, 4) detecting toxin-producing plant pathogens that threaten the health of humans and domestic animals, and 5) preventing the introduction and spread of exotic airborne plant pathogens in the United States. Schmale uses autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles to rapidly detect, monitor, and forecast the long-distance movement of high risk plant pathogens in the atmosphere and to investigate the structure, dynamics, and function of atmospheric microbial communities hundreds of meters above the surface of the earth. The ultimate goals of his research program are to enhance the protection and safety of the nation's agriculture and food supply and to develop new strategies to anticipate, prevent, and respond to agricultural threats of high risk plant pathogens.

INVESTMENTS:

HOST-PATHOGEN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGY

CONTACTS:

Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences (IBPHS)

Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS)

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI)

Office of the Vice President for Research

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECTS

Biomedical Imaging

Nanosensors and DNA detection

Nano-Biotechnology / Nano-Medicine

Nano-materials

Autonomous Systems


ABOUT CRI: The Commonwealth Research Initiative (CRI) provides more than $200 million to state universities ... (read more) INVESTMENTS: HOST-PATHOGEN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION New Faculty Equipment Research Projects Instruction Bruno Sobral and Dennis Dean discuss the importance of host-pathogen research. [Link to 7:34 video] NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGY New Faculty Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory equipment Research Projects Instruction Judy Riffle and Roop Mahajan discuss the impact of nanoscience on our lives. [Link to 12:39 video] LINKS: Implementation Partnerships/Collaborations Results CONTACTS: Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences (IBPHS) Dennis Dean 540/231-5895 Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Roop Mahajan 540/231-6876 Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) Bruno Sobral 540/231-2100 Office of the Vice President for Research Thomas J. Inzana 540/231-5188	NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECTS Biomedical Imaging The Biomedical Imaging Division of the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences was established in 2006 under the direction of Ge Wang, the Samuel Reynolds Pritchard Professor of engineering. The division consists of the bioluminescence tomography (BLT) laboratory, computed tomography (CT) laboratory, and high-performance computing (HPC) laboratory. BLT is a technology developed by Wang that allows researchers to monitor tumor growth in animal models in order to observe the results of experimental therapy. It can also be used to measure specific cell behavior. The mission of the Biomedical Imaging Division is to define and advance biomedical imaging frontiers, especially related to optical molecular imaging and x-ray CT. An optimal balance is sought among theoretical studies, algorithm development, system prototyping, biomedical, and other applications. Nanosensors and DNA detection DNA is the substance that encodes the genetic information that cells need to replicate and to produce proteins. The detection of DNA sequences is of great importance in genetics, pathology, criminology, design of new medicines, public health, food safety, civil defense, and environmental monitoring. DNA detection is limited to research laboratories – but it is needed in the field. Several research groups are working on DNA sequence detection, featuring greater sequence specificity, cost efficiency, speed, and ease of use in the field – and even in direct in-cell application. CRI funds have been invested through the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) in the following projects: The Center for Photonics Technology, directed by Anbo Wang, is collaborating with biochemistry associate professor Jake Tu, an expert on the mosquito genome, to develop highly-adaptable sensors. Specificity would be achieved by tethering a single strand of DNA to the sensing surface of a fiber monitored by a high speed picometer spectrometer. The goal is to monitor cellular processes. One of Tu’s projects is the introduction of genes that block transmission of disease into the mosquito. Randy Heflin, professor of physics, is developing optical fibers with self-assembled films as biosensors. That is, molecules that can act as a probe will ironically self-assemble as a monolayer (ISAM) on an optical fiber as the substrate and can detect their complementary target molecules at concentrations less than a microgram/milliliter. Nancy Love, professor of civil and environmental engineering, has received seed funding to develop sensors to detect pathogens and oxidative toxic agents in water. The projects are a collaboration between faculty members in the College of Engineering (Ishwar Puri and Brian Love) and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (Bev Rzigalinski). The pathogen detecting sensor (Puri and Love) is a microfluidic immunomagnetic separation device designed to remove and concentrate pathogens from water so that they can be detected and quantified. The oxidative stress sensor (N. Love, Rzigalinski, and B. Love) is a bacterial biosensor that would warn of toxins in water. The response of this sensor has been correlated with potential damage to animal and human cells, such as brain tissue.. Sanjay Raman in the Wireless Microsystems Laboratory at Virginia Tech and researchers at Pennsylvania State University are collaborating to develop distributed sensor networks for chemical and biological sensing. Wireless “electronic noses” would use nanoscale sensor devices to monitor different chemicals and gases and provide readouts over networks. "We are working to integrate nanosensors with smart silicon circuitry, so the sensor microsystem can sense, think, and communicate," Raman said. Independent sensing nodes can then be deployed in networks for situations ranging from exterior or interior environments and structures, to miniature, remotely piloted vehicles. The sensing networks can be used for real-time monitoring of vehicles and structures, such as roads or bridges, environmental monitoring for health and safety, and security and battlefield surveillance. Read more about the wireless "electronic noses." Nano-Biotechnology / Nano-Medicine “Nano-Biomaterials for the Delivery of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents” is a primary research thrust within ICTAS. Consequently, four innovative interdisciplinary programs connecting nanotechnology and health care are receiving initial seed funding from CRI through the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS). targeted drug delivery to treat diseases due to intracellular bacterial pathogens and cancer (Nammalwar Sriranganathan, professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine; Gary Pickrell, assistant professor of materials science and engineering (MSE), Randy Heflin, professor of physics; and Ramanathan Kasimanickam, assistant professor or large animal clinical sciences); creating cellulose nanocrystals linked to antibodies for immuno-targeting (Maren Roman, assistant professor of wood science, and Yong Woo Lee, assistant professor of biomedical engineering); micro-injection of nanoparticles and use of real-time spectroscopy in biological systems (Giti A. Khodaparast, assistant professor of physics); and engineered nanoconstructs for targeted regulation of intracellular free radical concentrations (Kathleen Meehan, assistant professor of electrical engineering; Richey Davis, associate professor, and David Cox, professor of chemical engineering; Judy Riffle, professor of chemistry; Marion Ehrich, professor of biomedical sciences; and Beverly Rzigalinski, pharmacologist with the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine). ICTAS is also bringing these groups together collaborate on targeted delivery of nanomedicine. Judy Riffle is leading the team of chemists, physicists, biologists, and engineers who are striving to synthesize supramolecular constructs to impact cellular and biological interactions. She and Richey Davis are creating a tool that can be used by the team – an impingement jet mixer for the controlled synthesis of nanomaterial drug delivery systems. A fully-constructed and tested impingement jet mixer for fabricating nanoparticles is expected to be in operation by the end of the summer. Nano-materials Tim Long, professor of chemistry and director of the Virginia Tech Army Materials Center of Excellence, is also principal investigatory and co-director of the Ionic Liquids in Electro-Active Devices Multi-University Research Initiative (MURI), which is developing electronic nanodevices, special films that react to electricity like artificial muscles, smart clothes that breathe and wick moisture away, but quickly close up in response to a chemical or biological threat, and other novel materials. Matching funds from CRI and ICTAS plus advanced equipment purchased with CRI funds enabled the research group to win a multi-million dollar research grant from the Army Research Office. The MURI is charged to provide fundamental enabling science for future Army technologies. Senior researchers will focus in three areas: synthesis of materials and charged polymers; mechanical, electrical, and morphological characterization; performance of actuators, electro-optical devices, and membranes. Industrial collaborators include DuPont, IBM Almaden, Kraton Polymers, NexGen Aeronautics, BASF, and Discover Technologies. Autonomous Systems /The Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) at Virginia Tech invested CRI funds to assist in the establishment and operation of the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems, which hosts unmanned vehicle activities spanning every application domain: water, land, air, and space. Research ranges from fundamental control theory to vehicle development to applications for science, security, and commerce. For example, David Schmale, assistant professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science, is 1) monitoring the long-distance movement and survival of airborne plant pathogens, 2) investigating the origin and distribution of airborne plant pathogen populations, 3) implementing strong monitoring and disease control programs for airborne plant diseases, 4) detecting toxin-producing plant pathogens that threaten the health of humans and domestic animals, and 5) preventing the introduction and spread of exotic airborne plant pathogens in the United States. Schmale uses autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles to rapidly detect, monitor, and forecast the long-distance movement of high risk plant pathogens in the atmosphere and to investigate the structure, dynamics, and function of atmospheric microbial communities hundreds of meters above the surface of the earth. The ultimate goals of his research program are to enhance the protection and safety of the nation's agriculture and food supply and to develop new strategies to anticipate, prevent, and respond to agricultural threats of high risk plant pathogens.