NIRT: Nanotubes and nanowires as biological sensors and actuators: Approaching the single-molecule limit

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This proposal was submitted in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 01-157). The aim of this project is the development and use of biologically modified nanotubes and nanowires as electrical probes of biological activity. Researchers will develop a new type of nanoscale probe, the "nano-coax", that can serve as a molecular probe only nanometers in dimensions. This new probe involves attaching biomolecules specifically to the end of silicon nanowires and carbon nanotubes, providing a very highly localized sensing region. The electrical response of the nanoprobe will be measured over a wide frequency range from kilo-Hertz to Giga-Hertz. The researchers will also explore the use of the nanoprobe as a molecular-scale actuator, using an applied electrical control signal to induce a change in activity of biological molecules tethered to the end. The research involves an interdisciplinary team of chemists, molecular biologists, and electrical engineers. The outcome of the research will be the development of a new set of bioanalytical tools able to rapidly detect biological species with unprecedented selectivity and sensitivity approaching the single-molecule limit. Successful use of nanoprobes as biological actuators would permit the direct manipulation of biological processes at the nanometer scale. The research involves a large component of graduate and undergraduate education and training. Graduate students will work together with faculty and undergraduate students as part of an interdisciplinary team. Faculty researchers will train graduate students and undergraduate students in state-of-the-art methods of materials fabrication and biological analysis, providing a workforce well-trained for industrial and academic research.This project is aimed at the development of a revolutionary kind of biological sensor. Recent advances have led to the development of tiny wires ("nanowires") only a few nanometers in diameter. In this research project, an interdisciplinary team of scientists will fabricate nanowires and then attach biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, to them. The researchers will then investigate the electrical signals generated when these "nanoprobes" interact with other biological molecules. The research has the potential to lead to major advances in the development of highly sensitive detectors able to identify minute quantities (perhaps as little as a single molecule) of biological molecules. The researchers will also explore the use of nanometer-sized probes to induce changes in biological activity, with long-term potential for biomedical applications. This project is co-supported by the Division of Materials Research, the Chemistry Division, the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems, and the Chemical and Transport Systems Division.