Live cell super-resolution microscopy assessment of targeted unimolecular nanomachines

This proposal seeks to cement the scientific collaboration further between Prof. Jim Tour and Dr. Robert Pal. Our combined research aim is to develop and test small molecular agents that once activated by low dosage of Ultra-violet light can selectively destroy cancerous cells and tissues.
This collaboration has been established, when Prof. Tour visited Durham as the 2015 Durham Lecturer at our department. Prof. Tour proposed a, yet unanswered, scientific challenge as part of one of his lectures, that due to my research expertise and available instrumentation I was able to propose a series of experiments to answer with. Exactly one year and lots of hard work later now we are in the fortunate position that our collective findings have been submitted to Nature and is currently under review of publication. As a result of this well-oiled collaboration not only this mutually beneficial milestone have been met, but a further more extensive NIH research grant have been submitted 12/2016 to facilitate the synthesis of the next generation of complexes to be studied at Durham (decision pending). However, the above mentioned proposal would only facilitate research staff and consumables cost to be met at Rice University. Up to this date Dr. Pal as a Royal Society URF, who as a URF is severely limited to apply for funding to undertake such activity, had no associated funding to visit Prof. Tour's lab, a visit that would facilitate mutual knowledge exchange and the establishment of a suitable optical microscopy facility to conduct any required preliminary screening of active compounds before the subsequent Durham live cell evaluation. There is no better way to showcase the scientific timeliness and magnitude of our combined research area than the 2016 Nobel Prize in chemistry, that has been awarded for 'Molecular Machines', and the 2014 Nobel Chemistry Prize what has been awarded for 'Super-resolution microscopy'. This small travel grant could facilitate this and accelerate the future success of the project greatly.

The proposed research have great scientific merits in modern day health care as tailored therapeutics as it would allow selective in-situ elimination of malignant cells and tissues using low energy light. The proposed visit would allow the researcher from Durham to visit the synthetic lab in Huston Texas, where based on his expertise a small optical microscopy facility is proposed to be set up to conduct any initial cellular assessment of these novel light activated nanomachines. This would not only aid initial assessment of active compounds to be undertaken, but subsequently would maximize scientific output in an extremely time efficient manner. The visit would also facilitate discussions of future grant submission that would allow the expansion of this research at both research institutions bearing great scientific merits.
The aim, once a mutually beneficial meeting is facilitated, is that the proposed project will be further exploited and based on our current and future findings a large proposal will submitted to relevant funding bodies as an extensive fully costed potentially 3-5 year project supporting at least 2 post-doctoral researchers with Dr. Pal as PI