Annual Report

Annual Report BECKMAN INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2 0 0 0 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN BIHighlights in 2000 ❏ How do you isolate, characterize, and manipu- TABLE OF CONTENTS late molecules in amounts so small that Mother Nature created special containers inside single cells 2000 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR just to transport them? In 2000, Beckman Institute Jiri Jonas, Director pages 2–4 faculty members Paul Bohn, Mark Shannon, and MOLECULAR AND ELECTRONIC NANOSTRUCTURES Jonathan Sweedler initiated a new collaborative pro- Overview pages 6–7 ject funded through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to design a new Karl Hess and Jeffrey S. Moore, Co-chairs category of measurement device, the Biofluidic Intelligent Processor. This device will Highlights pages 8–12 allow the active manipulation, detection, and characterization of biological fluids with BIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE volumes more than a million times smaller than a single drop of blood. At the heart of Overview pages 14–15 the Biofluidic Intelligent Processor are molecular gates with active areas not much Gary S. Dell and William T. Greenough, Co-chairs larger than transistors in microprocessors. The molecular gates can intelligently sepa- Highlights pages 16–20 rate specific components, passing the rest, concentrating them in attoliter volumes, HUMAN-COMPUTER INTELLIGENT INTERACTION then digitally tagging them for detection. As digitizing electronics has permitted com- Overview pages 22–23 Thomas S. Huang and Arthur F. Kramer, Co-chairs plex operations to be processed, digitizing molecular fluid flow can potentially solve the Highlights pages 24–28 daunting challenges posed by trace levels of extraordinarily lethal toxins. The active MAINTAINING THE EDGE component, the molecular gate, is analogous to transistors, in that switching, gain, Jennifer Quirk, Associate Director for and digital manipulation of specific molecules, such as proteins, are now possible. A External Affairs and Research number of interesting fundamental studies are under way. Because the Michael D. Smith, Associate Director for flow occurs in a completely new size regime (10 - 100 nm), control of Operations and Systems Services pages 30–32 fluid transport accomplishes digital transfer of fluids, and the Achilles’ BECKMAN INSTITUTE FELLOWS pages 34–40 heel of prior microfluidics devices, the device interconnects, are integral IMAGING TECHNOLOGY GROUP to the intelligent movement of biomolecules. This work builds upon the Bridget Carragher and Clint Potter, Co-directors pages 42–44 foundations from both the Biological Intelligence and the Molecular INTEGRATED SYSTEMS LABORATORY and Electronic Nanostructures main research themes. Henry J. Kaczmarski, Director pages 46–47 ❏ Previous work using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) CONTACT INFORMATION, UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION page 48 has investigated transient local changes in blood flow associated with mental activities. FACTS AND FIGURES This year Beckman researchers Erik Wiener, William Greenough, Paul Lauterbur, Beckman Institute Funding page 51 and former postdoctoral fellow Rodney Swain have demonstrated (for the first time) Faculty by Beckman Institute Group, a persisting effect of experience on brain blood flow, volume, and responsiveness in Major Awards, Patents and Patent Applications, the motor cortex region of the brain of rats. The rats were permitted unlimited oppor- Grants Awarded, and Selected Publications tunity to exercise in a running wheel attached to their cage. Those that had exercised Molecular & Electronic Nanostructures MRT pages 52-57 for 30 days had a higher basal level in blood volume in the region of the motor cortex Biological Intelligence MRT pages 58-65 Human-Computer Intelligent Interaction MRT pages 66-70 that governs movement of the forelimb, compared to inactive controls. Moreover, Beckman Institute Fellows pages 71 the blood flow and volume to this region showed enhanced responsiveness to demand: CREDITS page 72 16 BI 2000MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR scale, but often using researchers from the neurosciences, signal IN APRIL 2000, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CELE- very similar chemical processing, and the speech and hearing sciences. BRATION OF DR. ARNOLD BECKMAN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY. THIS JOYOUS and physical principles, The real-time system that has been developed AFFAIR, WHICH WAS HELD AT CASA PACIFICA IN SAN CLEMENTE, PAID the creation of new brain has great promise for hearing enhancement TRIBUTE TO A MAN WHOSE LIFETIME ACTIVITIES HAVE HAD A PROFOUND, imaging techniques, technology. Similarly, researchers interested in POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA IN THE UNITED STATES. such as functional magnetic resonance imaging learning and education are making use of video THIS CELEBRATION COINCIDED WITH THE RELEASE OF THE MONOGRAPH Arnold O. (fMRI), has revolutionized our ability to relate the technology to improve the teaching of mathe- Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence, WHICH GIVES A FASCINATING ACCOUNT activity of the brain to behavior and learning. By matics and reading. OF DR. BECKMAN’S LIFE AND HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ALL OF US AT THE using fMRI in combination with related technolo- As the following research highlights illus- gies, such as electroencephalograms (EEG), eye- trate, the efforts in Biological Intelligence are as BECKMAN INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS HAVE BENEFITED AND WILL movement monitoring, and optical imaging of diverse as intelligent behavior itself. If there is CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM HIS VISION AND GENEROSITY. the brain, Beckman researchers are able to tell an underlying theme, it is that progress to date not only where something is happening in the and progress in the future have depended and brain, but also how many different parts of the will depend on combina- When I consider a large multidisciplinary institute such as this one, there are many brain are involved and what sequence of brain tions of technologies and exciting research highlights I could discuss here, but unfortunately I will be able to events underlies a seemingly smoothly execut- disciplines. The Beckman mention only a select few in my introductory comments. ed intelligent behavior. Altogether, these tech- Institute provides a near- First, a joint workshop initiated by the Beckman Foundation Grants Advisory Council niques have extraordinary potential for reveal- ideal environment for took place on October 19-20, 2000, at the Beckman ing the nature of the computations that underlie scientists with vastly Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois in an effort to strengthen the ties intelligent behavior. different backgrounds to among the five Beckman institutes and centers sup- At the same time, interdisciplinary research come together to pursue ported by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. in Biological Intelligence is leading to important mutually important and interesting goals. The theme of the workshop was Imaging Science and applications in a variety of domains. For example, -William T. Greenough and Gary S. Dell, Technology, as it was decided that this was a theme the intelligent hearing aid project brings together Co-chairs that was of general interest to researchers at all of the 2 15 Director Biological Intelligence BI institutes and centers. Representatives from Beckman Institute. The new confocal microscope all five of the Beckman institutes and centers, will further enhance capabilities of the Beckman including those at the California Institute of Institute’s Imaging Technology Group. THE BIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE MAIN RESEARCH THEME (MRT) SEEKS TO Technology, the University of Illinois at Urbana- As in earlier years, the Beckman faculty UNDERSTAND THE LINKS BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND INTELLIGENT BEHAVIOR. Champaign, Stanford University, City of Hope continued to be very successful in attracting National Medical Center, and the University of federal and industrial funding. In particular, RESEARCH IN BIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE STARTS WITH THE STUDY OF THE California-Irvine Laser Institute, attended the it is impressive to note that Beckman Institute INDIVIDUAL MOLECULES THAT COMPRISE NEURONS AND THEIR SYNAPSES, AND workshop. The general goal of the workshop faculty were successful in receiving funding for BUILDS TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF was to explore how the research institutes three proposals submitted to the National and centers could leverage their combined Science Foundation under the Information BRAIN REGIONS AND SENSE ORGANS. expertise to strengthen existing programs and Technology Research (ITR) program. In view of to extend the range of scientific image acquisi- the keen national competition for this ITR tion and analysis. funding, it is clear that these funded projects One of the important goals of our research are on the forefront of information technology program at the Institute at Illinois is the devel- research. The projects are discussed in more From there, researchers consider the functioning of the brain, how its parts work opment of unique research tools. In this regard, detail later in this Annual Report. I would like to mention two major acquisitions— We were also together to achieve basic abilities, such as perception, attention, learning, and memory. the six-sided fully immersive virtual reality cave pleased to hear news Ultimately, the Biological Intelligence MRT considers how adapted forms of these and the multi-photon confocal microscope. The

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