The five-year research-education-outreach grant will allow Hayes
to continue his research in nanotechnology as well as provide
educational opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate
university students and younger students in kindergarten through
12th grade. The grant project involves using a microRNA delivery
technique to improve the control of wound healing and tissue
repair processes. MicroRNA is a tiny piece of RNA that joins
matching pieces of messenger RNA to make it double-stranded and
repress its function. Messenger RNA is the substance that
translates the DNA's genetic code in a cell and controls its
function. Traditionally, scientists used either chemicals or a
virus to deliver short-strand RNA to cells, Hayes said. “We use
nanoparticles. There’s no chemical toxicity, and we can provide
more selective delivery in terms of space and time compared with
a virus.” These extraordinarily small particles are measured in
nanometers, which are one billionth of a meter. “One thousand
nanoparticles arra