Collaborative Research - SST: Integration of Spectroscopic Sensors and Electroactive Nanowell Arrays with Microfluidic Chips Based on Thermocapillary Actuation

建议编号：0529132首席研究员：Sandra Troian隶属于普林斯顿大学合作研究-SST：将光谱传感器和电活性纳米霍尔阵列与基于热毛细管驱动的微流控芯片集成用于液体定量、传输和混合的微流控设备正在推动基因组和制药研究的创新，以及家用、工业或军用便携式套件的快速商业化。这种设备预计将给便携式化学检测和分析带来革命性的变化，预计到2010年将产生超过20亿美元的收入。最新的开放式设备基于自由表面流动的驱动，即液-液或气-液界面，为高度灵敏地检测吸附物种提供了一个特别有吸引力的平台。对这些设备的操作和控制至关重要的是开发和集成用于高分辨率的传感阵列，以自主识别样品位置、体积、温度、速度、组成和分子物种。这项研究计划的目标是开发和集成带有热流控芯片的微型光学、光谱和电活性传感器。这项由三部分组成的计划包括：(A)将薄膜波导与开放式流体设备相结合，用于静止或移动样品的消逝传感；(B)开发一种基于微尺度溪流的热毛细管驱动的新型液芯波导；以及(C)开发用于静电限制和生物分子浓缩的电活性纳米孔陷阱。这种波导传感器将用于监测液滴的位置、组成、显色反应的速率常数，以及在液体悬浮液中与功能化量子点的结合。通过与芯片表面制造的微环或微盘谐振器的短暂耦合，将探索额外的信号增强。放置在静止或移动液滴下方的电活性纳米孔传感器阵列将允许开发用作水性细菌病原体的环境传感器的阻抗光谱技术。传感器的开发和优化将通过实验、理论建模和数值模拟进行。这笔赠款的更广泛影响如下：这项研究的跨学科性质将允许开发具有集成传感阵列的新型流体芯片，并在微尺度传输现象和光子学的十字路口为学生提供独特的培训，这两个高增长领域在生物技术和纳米技术中有许多应用。本科生将通过康奈尔大学和普林斯顿大学的NSF REU项目招收，帮助他们学习芯片和纳米管制造、简单原型的组装和数据分析。学生将接受管理先进光学和电动传感平台的物理和工程原理方面的培训；他们还将开发本科实验室课程和K-12教育的示范单位。普林斯顿PI将扩展目前关于微流体现象的课程，包括第二学期关于微型设备的传感原理的课程。她还将利用这项研究建立一个新的普林斯顿高级流体技术中心，这是新泽西州就业增长和经济发展委员会目前正在考虑的一个大规模试点计划。康奈尔大学派将设计一门新课程，面向用于芯片实验室技术的光学和光谱传感器的现代工程和制造技术。这些专业人员将在IEEE传感器和SPIE光学信息系统会议上联合组织有关光流体学和传感的会议。

Proposal Number: 0529132Principal Investigator: Sandra TroianAffiliation: Princeton UniversityCollaborative Research - SST: Integration of Spectroscopic Sensors and Electroactive Nanowell Arrays with Microfluidic Chips Based on Thermocapillary ActuationMicrofluidic devices for liquid dosing, transport and mixing are driving innovation in genomic and pharmaceutical research as well as rapid commercialization of portable kits for home, industrial or military use. Such devices, predicted to revolutionize portable chemical detection and analysis, are expected to generate over 2 billion dollars in income by 2010. The newest open format devices, based on actuation of free surface flows, i.e. liquid-liquid or gas-liquid interfaces, provide an especially attractive platform for highly sensitive detection of adsorbed species. Essential to the operation and control of these devices is development and integration of sensing arrays for high resolution, autonomous identification of sample position, volume, temperature, speed, composition and molecular species. This research program targets the development and integration of miniaturized optical, spectroscopic and electroactive sensors with thermofluidic chips. The three-part program includes (a) integration of thin film waveguides with open fluidic devices for evanescent sensing of stationary or moving samples, (b) development of a novel liquid-core waveguide based on thermocapillary actuation of microscale rivulets and (c) development of electroactive nanowell traps for electrostatic confinement and concentration of biomolecules. The waveguide sensors will be used to monitor droplet location, composition, rate constants for chromogenic reactions, and binding to functionalized quantum dots in a liquid suspension. Additional signal enhancement will be explored through evanescent coupling to micro-ring or micro-disc resonators fabricated on the chip surface. The electroactive nanowell sensor arrays positioned beneath stationary or moving droplets will allow development of an electrical impedance spectroscopic technique for use as an environmental sensor of aqueous borne bacterial pathogens. Sensor development and optimization will proceed through experiment, theoretical modeling and numerical simulations. The broader impacts of this grant are as follows: The interdisciplinary nature of the research will allow development of a novel fluidic chip with integrated sensing arrays and provide students with unique training at the crossroad of microscale transport phenomena and photonics, two high growth areas with numerous applications to bio- and nanotechnology. Undergraduates will be recruited through the NSF REU programs at Cornell and Princeton to aid with chip and nanowell fabrication, assembly of simple prototypes and data analysis. Students will be trained in the physical and engineering principles governing advanced optical and electrokinetic sensing platforms; they will also develop demonstration units for undergraduate lab courses and K-12 education. The Princeton PI will expand a current course on microfluidic phenomena to include a 2nd semester on sensing principles for miniaturized devices. She will also be leveraging this study toward establishment of a new Princeton Center on Advanced Fluidic Technologies, a large scale pilot program currently under consideration by the New Jersey Commission on Jobs Growth and Economic Development The Cornell PI will design a new course geared toward modern engineering and fabrication techniques of optical and spectroscopic sensors for lab-on-a-chip technologies. The PIs will jointly organize sessions on optofluidics and sensing at the IEEE Tranducers and SPIE Optical Information Systems meetings.