CBE Faculty Research Report | 2013-2014
Engineering faculty member receives top research
award
By Barry Ray, FSU News
Anant K. Paravastu, an assistant professor of chemical and
biomedical engineering, has won a five-year NSF Faculty Early Career
Development Award, also known as a CAREER Award, totaling
$404,992 to advance his research into “designer” proteins, an area of
study that could contribute to breakthroughs in the emerging fields
of regenerative medicine and nanotechnology.
NSF CAREER Awards are designated for scientists who are still in the
early stages of their academic careers and are intended to help them
build upon previous accomplishments in their areas of research.
Paravastu’s project, titled “Solid State NMR Characterization Of
Molecular Structure And Self-Assembly Of Protein Nanofiber Matrices,”
Dr. Anant Paravastu
involves evaluating at the molecular level the self-assembly and self-healing
processes, among other properties, of certain protein structures. The knowledge gained from his
research could help lead to the development of a biologically inspired, “bottom-up” approach to
nanomaterial construction with applications in regenerative medicine and nanotechnology.
“Recently, scientists have used insights gained from decades of studying the structural biology
of naturally occurring proteins to engineer ‘designer’ proteins capable of forming nanofiber
matrices, or tissue scaffolds,” Paravastu said. “These scaffolds show great promise in regenerative
medicine; for example, recent reports indicate that they have the ability to support the healing of
damaged neurons or the encapsulation of transplanted stem cells.
“Particularly interesting properties of these proteins include their ability to adapt their structures
to environmental stimuli and regenerate their nanostructures following damage,” he added.
“Through the full characterization of molecular structures and formation pathways for designerprotein tissue scaffolds, we seek to achieve unprecedented control of the biolo v?6????6?6???B6?V?6?&?W'F?W2?( ???6??GV7F??r??2&W6V&6??&f7GRV????2???7&VF?&??vW&gV???F?6?FV6???VP????v?26??B?7FFR?V6?V"?v?WF?2&W6???6R???"?7V7G&?66??W6??rF???2??6FVBBF?P??F??????v??v?WF?2f?V?B?&?&F?'??v?F?F??2FV6???VR??RWF???W2??v??v?WF?2f?V?G2F???V7W&RF?R7G&V?wF?2?F?&V7F???2?BFV??&'?f?V7GVF???2?b?v?WF?2??FW&7F???2&WGvVV??F?RF??2v?F???&?FV???&f7GR&Vv???26FV?26&VW"Bf??&?F7FFR??#?gFW"V&???rF?7F?&FR???6?V?6?V?v??VW&??rg&??F?RV??fW'6?G??b6?f?&???&W&?V?W??B&6?V??.( ?2FVw&VRg&??F?R?766?W6WGG2??7F?GWFR?bFV6?????w???R?2?6?6???WFVBw&GVFRv?&?B?w&V?6P??fW&??&R?F?????&?&F?'????fW&??&R?4??B?7FF?7F?&?&W6V&6?BF?R?F???????7F?GWFR?bF?&WFW2b??F?W?F?6V6W2??&WF?W6F??B??WBFW7?FR???b??27V66W72?&f7GP?&V???2??FW7B&?WB??24$TU"v&B??( ?2?V6?2???fR?v?&????vV??v&RF?BF?W&R?2w&VBFV??bW?6V??V?B66?V?6R&V??p?F??R'???V?r&?fW76?'2??F?RV??FVB7FFW2?( ??R6?B?( ?F?R?W76vR?vWBg&??F??27V66W70??2F?B?&V?Vf?FVBg&??7G&??r7W?'Bg&??e5R?BVffV7F?fV??W7F?f?VB?&??V7B??FW&?2F?@?&R6??6?7FV?Bv?F?F?R?4b&Wf?Wr&?6W72????V?&?VB'?F??2????"?B????f?'v&BF??FV?fW&??r???&??6W2?( ????6???VvR?bV?v??VW&??r?f??&?Fd?V??fW'6?G??f??&?F7FFRV??fW'6?G??????????