Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95097354421?pwd=VHVHZGRLb21TVnNlczhEY2dKTjZKUT09

Abstract: Single cells are building blocks of all living organisms.  Understanding of functions of individual live cells and their communications is essential to rationally design and engineer effective diagnosis and therapies. New tools for detecting and targeting specific individual cells would revolutionize disease diagnosis and treatments.  Single live cells also offer unique inspiration for rational design and engineer biocompatible smart materials and devices for bioengineering innovation (e.g., self-powered, self-repaired, self-assembled, self-replicated “live” robots).  To achieve these transformative potentials, it is crucial to depict how individual live cells function and communicate to enable specific functions in cell culture, tissues, live animals, and ultimately in human in real time at single-cell and single-molecule resolutions.  Interactions of couples of molecules in single live cells can induce a cascade of vital cellular responses and alter cellular and tissue functions. Current tools are unable to real-time study molecular machineries of single live cells with adequate quantitation, spatial and temporal resolutions and over a desired long period of time. We have pioneered the development of a set of powerful new technologies, including photostable single plasmonic nanoparticle imaging probes, single molecule nanoparticle optical biosensors (SMNOBS), and far-field photostable optical nanoscopy (PHOTON). We have demonstrated that these new tools can overcome the drawbacks of fluorescence-based imaging platforms for dynamic, single molecule and multiplexing imaging of single live cells with superior temporal and spatial resolutions and over a long period of time (hours, days, weeks).  We have used these new tools to real-time study: (i) molecular cascades of signaling transduction pathways of single live cells; (ii) molecular mechanisms of multidrug resistance of single live cells; (iii) efficacies of single drug nanocarriers; (iv) native environments of developing embryos and differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiomyocytes and neurons; and (v) rare subsets of single cancer stem cells (CSCs) in clinical tissues for exploring new paradigm of early cancer detection and targeted therapy.  We are currently developing new nanobiophotonic sensing and imaging platforms for real-time large-scale recording and modulation of neuron-neuron communicates, aiming to understand how brain develops and functions and how to effectively detect, diagnose and treat brain diseases. In this seminar, I will describe these new nanobiotechnologies and their innovative biomedical engineering applications.  The work was supported by NIH and NSF.

Bio: Dr. X. Nancy Xu is the AAAS Fellow and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, and Chemistry at Old Dominion University (ODU).  During her tenure at ODU, Dr. Xu has built a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research laboratory, and successfully developed a nationally and internationally recognized and well-funded interdisciplinary research program at the interface of chemistry, biology, engineering, and medicine.  Dr. Xu has successfully directed NSF and NIH funded interdisciplinary research programs and she has demonstrated a track-record of accomplishments in successfully competing for highly prestigious federal research grants, including NSF NIRT, NSF BRAIN Initiative, NIH R01, and DoD MURI awards.  Dr. Xu has pioneered the development of a set of powerful new sensing and imaging technologies for biomedical applications. She is especially well recognized for her pioneering work in single nanoparticle optics, single nanoparticle plasmonic spectroscopy, single molecule sensing, and single live cell imaging.  Dr. Xu holds a world-wide patent on DNA Biosensors and has consistently published her work in high-impact peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Xu has led and developed several new graduate and undergraduate courses and she has taught 26 different courses on various topics including biosensing, imaging, biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering and nanobiotechnology. Dr. Xu has served as an expert reviewer and panelist for 15 national and international funding agencies, 62 NIH grant review panels and 26 NSF grant review panels. Dr. Xu has led and served as a track director/coordinator for an interdisciplinary joint PhD program in Biomedical Sciences between ODU and Eastern Virginia Medical School.  and  as the member of advisory board of Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics. Dr. Xu has received several prestigious national awards (e.g., Nano 50 Innovator Award, Nano 50 Technology Award, NSF BRAIN Initiative EAGER Award, Finalist of NIH Follow That Cell Challenge, ACS Roland F. Hirsch Award, and AAAS Mentor Award) and university awards (e.g., Distinguished Research Award, Faculty Research Achievement Award, University Presidential Diversity Champion Award, student-nominated Shining Star Recognition and Most Inspired Faculty Member Designation). Dr. Xu received her B.S. from Xiamen University and her Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and Ames Lab-Iowa State University.  Her profile is at www.odu.edu/~xhxu.

Dr. Xu is a prospective BME faculty candidate.