Integrated Nanowire Array Sensors for Biomolecular Detection

本研究的目的是通过在设计、制造和功能化方面的良好协调和跨学科努力，开发和集成纳米线传感器系统的构建模块，形成纳米线传感器阵列，用于目标生物分子的无标签电检测。该方法是利用顶级硅纳米制造技术形成纳米线，并使用一种新的热介导交换反应作为附着方案，在不同的传感器位点上实现捕获双分子的特定位点功能化。该建议的重点是检测microrna (miRNA)，其长度通常为21- 23nt，在细胞中大量存在。这些分子最近被发现是关键的细胞成分，其表达水平与疾病状态相关。知识价值：miRNA序列的检测本身具有重要的科学和商业意义。此外，拟议的工作将开发一个框架，通过该框架，可能在不同实验室开发的单个传感器组件可以有效地集成到传感器阵列中。此外，该项目开发的设计平台、制造技术、功能化方案和集成方法具有许多通用特征，不仅可以很容易地适用于其他纳米生物系统，还可以适用于纳米电子学、dna计算、纳米力学和纳米复合材料。更广泛的影响：最后，这种综合设计方法将涉及非传统的跨学科互动，对研究生和本科生教育、研究和工程实践具有重要意义。我们将开发一门高级/研究生水平的课程，题为：生物纳米技术导论。它将被教授给许多系的学生。我们与NCN合作的项目有研究生和本科生组成部分，以及对研究界和公众的推广。

The objective of this research is to develop and integrate the building blocks of a nanowire sensor system using a well-coordinated and interdisciplinary effort in design, fabrication and functionalization to form a nanowire sensor array for the label free electrical detection of target biomolecules. The approach is to use top town silicon nano-fabrication to form the nanowires and use a novel thermally mediate exchange reaction as attachment scheme for site specific functionalization of capture bimolecular at different sensor sites. The proposal focuses on the detection of microRNAs (miRNA), which are usually 21-23 nt in length and occur in abundance in cells. These molecules have recently been found to be critical cellular components whose levels of expression correlate with disease states.Intellectual Merit: The detection of miRNA sequences in itself has significant scientific and commercial implications. In addition, the proposed work will develop the framework by which individual sensor components, perhaps developed in different laboratories, may be efficiently integrated into sensor arrays. Also, the design platform, fabrication techniques, functionalization schemes, and integration approaches developed in the project have many generic features that can easily be adapted not only to other nano-bio systems, but also to nano-electronics, DNA-computing, nano-mechanics and nano-composites. Broader Impact: Finally, this integrated design approach will involve non-traditional interdisciplinary interactions, with important implications for graduate and undergraduate education, research, and the practice of engineering. We will develop a senior/graduate level course entitled: Introduction to Bio-Nanotechnology. It will be taught to students from many departments. Our program in collaboration with NCN has graduate and undergraduate components as well as outreach to the research community and the public.