Colorado State University engineering professors received a highly competitive $1 million Keck Foundation grant to create a microscope that could, for the first time, “see” characteristics of molecules that tell other molecules what to do.
These signaling molecules control biological behaviors spanning from basic human development to attack from toxins. The molecules are so tiny that not even dye techniques – known as fluorescence – used to light up tiny particles can reveal their properties, said Randy Bartels, electrical engineering professor and the principal investigator on the grant.
“This would give a new window into the fundamental level of molecular communication in biology,” Bartels said. “It could potentially have an impact on understanding the underlying molecular biology of cancer, which could suggest new treatments.”
