SENSORS: Direct Electronic Sensing for Real-time Biological Detection

0330257 Hamers这项研究旨在开发具有两种独特元素的新一代生物传感器。 首先，传感器基于使用直接电阻抗测量作为信号转换的基础，提供直接的电子生物接口以及实时、连续监测生物分子（包括多种病原体）的可能性。 其次，传感器是基于使用碳基材料，包括金刚石和类金刚石碳，作为超稳定的支持，以提供一个强大的化学和电子接口的生物分子。 研究人员将进行实验，旨在开发碳基材料（包括玻璃碳，薄膜金刚石和各种薄膜类金刚石碳材料）的优化生物改性，并随后使用生物改性表面作为直接电子传感的基础。这项研究将产生广泛的影响，导致自主传感系统，能够检测和识别各种生物病原体在真实的时间在连续的基础上。 这些传感器的发展可能导致完整的低功耗，电池供电的传感系统，可以廉价和广泛分布，以大大提高对危险生物制剂的安全性。 许多拟议的研究还将在食品安全等领域具有广泛的商业适用性，因为它们能够改进对各种生物病原体进行连续监测的方法。 拟议的研究还将以几种方式有效地将研究与教育联系起来。 首席研究员积极参与了一些将大学与K-12教育联系起来的外联活动。 此外，通过这项建议培养的研究生将接触到一个不寻常的跨学科领域。

0330257HamersThis research is aimed at developing a new generation of biological sensors with two unique elements. First, the sensors are based upon the use of direct electrical impedance measurements as the basis for signal transduction, providing a direct electronic bio-interface and the possibility of real-time, continuous monitoring of biological molecules, including a wide variety of pathogens. Secondly, the sensors are based upon the use of carbon-based materials, including diamond and diamond-like carbon, as ultra-stable supports, to provide a robust chemical and electronic interface to biological molecules. The researchers will conduct experiments aimed at developing optimized biological modification of the carbon-based materials (including glassy carbon, thin-film diamond, and a variety of thin-film diamond-like carbon materials) and the subsequent use of the biologically-modified surfaces as the basis for direct electronic sensing. This research will have broad impact by leading to autonomous sensing systems that are able to detect and identify a variety of biological pathogens in real time on a continuous basis. The development of these sensors could lead to complete low-power, battery-operated sensing systems that could be inexpensively and widely distributed to provide greatly increased security against hazardous biological agents. Much of the proposed research would also have broad commercial applicability in areas such as food safety, by enabling improved methods for continuous monitoring of a wide variety of biological pathogens. The proposed research will also effectively link research with education in several ways. The principal investigator is actively involved in a number of outreach activities linking the university to K-12 education. Additionally, graduate students trained through this proposal will be exposed to an unusually interdisciplinary field.