# Nanoscale Temperature Mapping and Thermal Regulation of Intracellular Dynamics

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2024 · $390,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Temperature is critical to all life activities and regulates biological processes at
various levels. Cells not only detect temperature changes through their unique
temperature-sensitive molecular machineries but also adapt with appropriate responses
to maintain their inherent functions. Despite the fundamental involvement of temperature
in biological processes, the molecular mechanism by which cells produce and use heat
is largely unknown. Our aim to develop atomically precise nanoarchitectures as both
stimulators and thermometers to study various temperature-sensitive molecules down to
the sub-cellular level. The study will investigate spatio-temporal temperature variations,
including organelle-specific thermogenesis to develop the intrinsic connections between
temperature and cell functions. The proposed study will combine nanoarchitectures with
our recent demonstrated ultrafast optical spectroscopy, structural characterizations, and
atomistic-to-microscope multiscale modeling framework to design, measure, and
analyze the molecular-level thermal-biological interactions. The new approach will
quantify intracellular temperature changes at the microscopic level in large difference
from those assumed at a water environment at the macroscopic level. We expect the
employment of new nano-architecture will uncover novel mechanisms and fundamental
understandings of intracellular temperature-assisted functions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10898008
- **Project number:** 5R35GM147391-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Yongjie Hu
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $390,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10898008

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10898008, Nanoscale Temperature Mapping and Thermal Regulation of Intracellular Dynamics (5R35GM147391-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10898008. Licensed CC0.

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