DURIP-20 LASER CONFOCAL SCANNING MICROSCOPE TO ENHANCE STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF NANOSECOND-DURATION ELECTRIC PULSES ON EXCITABLE CELLS

Abstract

aim is to acquire a laser confocal scanning microscope to enhance ongoing studies investigating the potential use of a new type of bioelectric stimulus, nanosecond duration, high intensity (> 1 MV per m) electric pulses (NEPs), for applications relevant to the Department of Defense (DoD), specifically a non-drug modality to improve human performance. The research effort comprises a team of investigators in the College of Engineering (CoEN) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), and is also part of a collaborative effort with researchers at the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics in Norfolk, VA, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in San Antonio, TX. The requested confocal microscope will be used by an interdisciplinary group of researchers from across the university to enhance the capabilities of research projects currently funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) that directly address two of its declared areas of interest: 1) to establish direct methods to augment human performance; and 2) to develop the ability to control biological systems remotely. The main focus of this research effort has been to characterize the effects of NEPs on neuroendocrine adrenal chromaffin cells, a well-characterized model of neural-type cells, as an essential first step in determining the potential of NEPs for use in practical applications of relevance to the military.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2021
Source ID
FA95502010128

Entities

People

  • Josette El Zaklit

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Nevada System of Higher Education
  • United States Air Force

Tags

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Research Science/Academic Research

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy