B.S. Physics (1993) Trinity University
M.A. Physics (1996) Rice University
Ph.D. Physics (1998) Rice University
Biophysics, Nanoscience
Email: hafner@rice.edu
Phone: 713-348-3205
Office: Anderson Biological Laboratories, 302
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Jason Hafner
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Chemistry
Research Statement
My lab works at the intersection of modern research directions in the physical and biological sciences. On the physical side, the past two decades have seen a strong emphasis on nanometer-scale science and technology, both in the development of new tools to explore nanometer-scale systems and in the novel physical properties that emerge at that scale. On the biological side, there has been a drive toward more quantitative research, including a growing sense that lifes complex molecular constituents must be studied as interacting systems rather than in isolation. These trends represent significant challenges and have encouraged interdisciplinary work in the physical and biological sciences. I have directed my labs research towards scientific questions and technical challenges at this physical/biological interface. I have focused specifically on two areas: Membrane Electrostatics and Biological Nanophotonics.
Membrane Electrostatics
The biological membrane is the least understood and arguably the most important cellular component since it forms the boundary between the cell and its environment, as well as the boundary for the cells organelles. These membranes consist of a 2-D sheet of thousands of different types of amphiphilic molecules which are highly mobile in the membrane plane. Since the extreme complexity of natural biological membranes often precludes a fundamental understanding of their physical properties, researchers turn to synthetic phospholipid bilayers as membrane models. These lipid membranes create a complex electrostatic environment due to their high density of charged and dipolar chemical groups and their large variation in dielectric constant between the aqueous and hydrophobic phases. Since electrostatic effects are ubiquitous in biomolecular interactions, it is imperative to understand the membranes electrostatic environment and how it depends on lipid composition. We have applied the atomic force microscope (AFM) to this research area. We have mapped the surface potential of heterogeneous membranes at nanometer-scale resolution, and measured the dipole potential of lipid membranes.
Biological Nanophotonics
Gold and silver nanoparticles exhibit strong spectral scattering and absorption peaks at visible wavelengths due to a resonant excitation of their free electrons referred to as a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). While the theoretical basis for this effect was described 100 years ago, research in the field has exploded over the past decade due to new chemical and lithographic methods to produce nanoparticles with controlled shape and tunable plasmon resonances. Our work on biological and biomedical applications of LSPR requires an interdisciplinary approach which includes studies of nanoparticle optical properties (physics), synthesis and surface modification (chemistry), and interactions with biological systems (molecular biology). Our goal is to make fundamental advances in these areas to support the powerful diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical applications of LSPR nanoparticles. In addition, we are developing LSPR-based immunoassays that are needed to measure simultaneous expression levels of many proteins to unravel complex biological networks.
Selected Publications
Mayer, K. M.; Lee, S.; Liao, H.; Rostro, B. C.; Fuentes, A.; Scully, P. T.; Nehl, C. L.; Hafner, J. H. "A label-free immunoassay based upon localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanorods." ACS Nano, 2 (2008): 687-692.
Hleb, E. Y.; Hafner, J. H.; Myers, J. N.; Hanna, E. Y.; Rostro, B. C.; Zhdanok, S. A.; Lapotko, D. O. "LANTCET: elimination of solid tumor cells with photothermal bubbles generated around clusters of gold nanoparticles.." Nanomedicine, 3 (2008): 647-667.
Hleb, E. Y.; Hu, Y.; Drezek, R. A.; Hafner, J. H.; Lapotko, D. O. "Photothermal bubbles as optical scattering probes for imaging living cells." Nanomedicine, 3 (2008): 797-812.
Yang, Y.; Mayer, K. M.; Wickremasinghe, N. S.; Hafner, J. H. "Probing the Lipid Membrane Dipole Potential by Atomic Force Microscopy." Biophysical Journal, 95 (2008): 5193-5199.
Nehl, C. L.; Hafner, J. H. "Shape-dependent plasmon resonances of gold nanoparticles." Journal of Materials Chemistry, 18 (2008): 2415-2419.
F. Hao, C. L. Nehl, J. H. Hafner, P. Nordlander "Plasmon Resonances of a Gold Nanostar." Nano Letters, 7 (2007): 729-732.
Y. Yang, K. M. Mayer, J. H. Hafner "Quantitative Membrane Electrostatics with the Atomic Force Microscope." Biophysical Journal, 92 (2007): 1-9.
Presentations
"Biological sensing with localized surface plasmon resonances." University of Minnesota Center for Nanostructure Applications Workshop, Minneapolis, MN. (November 13, 2008)
"Biological sensing with localized surface plasmon resonances." Advances in Nanomedicine Symposium, 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Philadelphia, PA. (August 18, 2008)
"Biological Applications of Plasmon Resonant Nanoparticles." Nanobiology Training Program Summer Symposium, Houst, TX. (July 15, 2008)
"Biological Sensing with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances." Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, San Fancisco, CA. (March 27, 2008)
"Biomedical Applications of Plasmon Resonant Nanoparticles." Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology 25th Annual Conference, Houston, TX. (March 7, 2008)
Theses
Britt Lassiter, M.S. "Close Encounters between Two Nanoshells." (2008).(Co-Director)
Emily Day, M.S. "Enhancement of Cancer Therapy through Targeted Delivery of Nanoshells." (2008).(Committee Member)
Wangchen Wang, Ph.D. "Structural Study on Lipid Membrane by X-ray Anomalous Diffraction." (2008).(Committee Member)
Laura McJilton, Ph.D. "Controlled Synthesis of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes." (2008).(Committee Member)
Lissett Bickford, M.S. "Silica-based Gold Nanoshells as Contrast Agents for Intraoperative Breast Cancer Tumor Margin Detection." (2008).(Committee Member)
Fei Li, Ph.D. "Plasmonic Properties of Nanoparticle-Film Systems and Periodic Nanoparticle Arrays." (2008).(Committee Member)
Kenneth Wilson, Ph.D. "Processing of Single-Walled Carbon-Nanotube Metal Matrix Composites and a Finite Element Model for the Process." (2008).(Committee Member)
Shuo Qian, M.S. "Structure of the Alamethicin Pore Reconstructed by X-ray Diffraction Analysis." (2008).(Committee Member)
Alexandra Fursina, M.S. "High-aspect-ratio nanogaps for investigation of magnetite nanosystems and assembled molecules." (2008).(Committee Member)
Daniel Brandl, Ph.D. "Plasmon hybridization in Generalized Metallic nanostructures." (2008).(Committee Member)
Seunhyung Lee, M.S. "Self Assembled Monolayer Formation on Gold Nanorods." (2008).(Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Andre Gobin , Ph.D. . "Photothermal Therapies Using Near Infrared Absorbing Nanoparticles." (2007).(Committee Member)
Madhu Thalakulam, Ph.D. "Development and Study of Charge Sensors for Fast Charge detection in Quantum Dots." (2007).(Committee Member)
Felicia Tam, Ph.D. . "Optmization of the Nanoshell Geomitry for Plasmon enahcned fluorescence." (2007).(Committee Member)
Kristjan Stone, M.S. . "Quantum Transport in Carbon Nanotubes." (2007).(Committee Member)
John-David Rocha, Ph.D. "Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes." (2007).(Committee Member)
Colleen Nehl , Ph.D. . "Singe Nanoparticle Spectroscopy: Plasmonic Properties and Biosensing Applicaions." (2007).(Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Kathryn Mayer , M.S. "Gold nanorod substrates for LSPR biosensing." (2007).(Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Sean Pheasant, Ph.D. . "Chirality Control of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Surfaces and Optimization of Their Growth in Vertically-Aligned Arrays." (2007).(Committee Member)
Albert Chang , M.S. . "Plasmonic Coupling of a Gold Colloid and a Gold Film." (2007).(Committee Member)
Siyang Sun, Ph.D. "Biochemical and crystallographic studies of bacteriophage RB69 DNA polymerase and single-stranded DNA binding protein interactions." (2005).(Committee Member)
Hao Yang, M.S. "Measuring the magnetic field on the classical T Tauri star TW Hydrae." (2005).(Committee Member)
Nissanka Wickremasinghe, M.S. "Probing Molecular Recognition with Protein Crystals." (2005).(Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Nissanka Wickremasinghe, M.S. "Probing Molecular Recognition with Protein Crystals." (2005).(Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Fei Le, M.S. "Plasmon Hybridization." (2005).(Committee Member)
Hao Yang, M.S. "Measuring the magnetic field on the classical T Tauri star TW Hydrae." (2005).(Committee Member)
Fei Le, M.S. "Plasmon Hybridization." (2005).(Committee Member)
Siyang Sun, Ph.D. "Biochemical and crystallographic studies of bacteriophage RB69 DNA polymerase and single-stranded DNA binding protein interactions." (2005).(Committee Member)
Sarah Nagel, M.S. "A Narrow Linewidth Diode Laser System for Strontium Laser Cooling Applications." (2004).(Committee Member)
Felicia Tam, M.S. "Gold Nanoshells." (2004).(Committee Member)
Nathaniel Grady, M.S. "Plasmon Resonances in Gold Nanoshells." (2004).(Committee Member)
Michael Cooke, M.S. "D0." (2004).(Committee Member)
Colleen Nehl, M.S. "Scattering Spectra of Single Gold Nanoshells." (2004).(Thesis or Dissertation Director)
Cristin Moran, Ph.D. "Metallodielectric Nanostructures." (2003).(Committee Member)
Carla Aguirre, M.S. "Reshaping the Metallic surface of a Gold Nanoshell." (2002).(Committee Member)
Fu Kun , Ph.D. "Polarized Angular Dependent Light Scattering from Plasmonic Nanoparticles: Modeling, Measurements, and Biomedical Applications." (Committee Member)
Awards
Hamill Innovation Award, Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering. (April 1, 2008).
Commendation for Excellence in Technical Communication, Laser Focus World. (2006).
Beckman Young Investigator Award, Beckman Foundation. (04/15/02).
Grants and Proposals
Carbon Nanotube Growth: Chemical Kinetics and Selective Synthesis, Petroleum Research Fund.
Bionanotechnology: Atomic Force Microscopy and Near Infrared Nanomaterials, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnoloby (NSF Center).
Probing the Electrostatics of Lipid Bilayer Membranes, NSF.
Nano-wells for biological scanning probe microscopy, Beckman Foundation.
Nanorod-mediated Gene Therapy in Bladder Cancer, Alliance for NanoHealth (DOD).
Gold Nanorods for Targeted Gene Delivery, DOD.
MRI: Development of Nanoscale Probes for Enhanced Vibrational Spectroscopy, NSF MRI (Materials Research Instrumentation).
Bionanotechnology: Atomic Force Microscopy and Near Infrared Nanomaterials, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnoloby (NSF Center).
Feasibility of Selective Laser Elimination of Leukemia Cells Targeted with Gold and Silver Nanorods, Institute of International Education / Scholar Rescue Fund.
MURI: A Multimodality Ultramicrospectroscope (MUMS): Nanoscale Imaging with Integrated Spectroscopies for Chemical and Biomolecular Identification, DOD: Army.
IGERT: Nanophotonics - Fundamentals and Applications in Emerging Technologies, NSF (IGERT).
Protein Nanowires, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (NSF).
Probing the Electrostatics of Lipid Bilayer Membranes, NSF.
Chemical Kinetics of Single Wall Nanotube Synthesis, Welch Foundation.
Imaging Biological Charge Distributions, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnoloby (NSF Center).
Syntheis of Structurally Anisotropic Gold Nanoparticles, Welch Foundation.
Bionanotechnology: Atomic Force Microscopy and Near Infrared Nanomaterials, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnoloby (NSF Center).
Imaging Biological Charge Distributions, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnoloby (NSF Center).
Chemical Kinetics of Gold Nanorod Synthesis, Welch Foundation.
Effective Lecture Demonstrations in Waves and Optics, Brown Teaching Grants Program.
Feasibility of Selective Laser Elimination of Leukemia Cells Targeted with Gold and Silver Nanorods, Alliance for NanoHealth (DOD).
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