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

该提案是应“纳米科学与工程”(NSF 01-157)的征集而提交的。该项目的目的是开发和使用生物修饰的纳米管和纳米线作为生物活性的电子探针。研究人员将开发一种新型的纳米级探测器--纳米同轴电缆，它可以作为只有纳米尺寸的分子探测器。这种新的探测器将生物分子专门附着在硅纳米线和碳纳米管的末端，提供了一个高度局部化的感应区。纳米探头的电学响应将在从千赫到千兆赫的广泛频率范围内进行测量。研究人员还将探索将纳米探针用作分子尺度的致动器，使用施加的电气控制信号来诱导连接到末端的生物分子活动的变化。这项研究涉及一个由化学家、分子生物学家和电气工程师组成的跨学科团队。研究的结果将是开发一套新的生物分析工具，能够以前所未有的选择性和灵敏度快速检测生物物种，接近单分子极限。成功地将纳米探针用作生物致动器将允许在纳米尺度上直接操纵生物过程。这项研究涉及研究生和本科生教育和培训的很大一部分内容。研究生将作为跨学科团队的一部分与教职员工和本科生一起工作。学院研究人员将对研究生和本科生进行最先进的材料制造和生物分析方法的培训，为工业和学术研究提供一支训练有素的劳动力队伍。该项目旨在开发一种革命性的生物传感器。最近的进展导致了直径只有几纳米的微小导线(纳米线)的发展。在这项研究项目中，一个由科学家组成的跨学科团队将制造纳米线，然后将DNA和蛋白质等生物分子连接到纳米线上。然后，研究人员将研究这些“纳米探针”与其他生物分子相互作用时产生的电信号。这项研究有可能导致高灵敏度探测器的开发取得重大进展，这些探测器能够识别微小的生物分子(可能只有一个分子)。研究人员还将探索使用纳米尺寸的探针来诱导生物活性的变化，具有生物医学应用的长期潜力。该项目由材料研究司、化学司、生物工程和环境系统司以及化学和运输系统司共同支助。

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.