IRES: US-Turkey-Switzerland Collaboration on Resonant Structures for Biosensing and Imaging

0601631 Unlug该奖项支持波士顿大学(BU)的一个科学家团队为学生提供国际研究经验，该团队由PI领导，电气和计算机工程系Selim Unlu博士与土耳其伊斯坦布尔Koc大学电气工程系Irsadi Aksun博士和瑞士联邦理工学院电气工程系Yusuf Leblebeci博士合作。研究的重点是光学共振在生物传感和成像方面的应用。一般的方法是利用共振来显著增加存储的光能密度，从而增强与结合在固体表面上的生物样品的相互作用。他们将把重点放在三个基于生物传感和成像方面的共振增强的具体项目上。环形谐振器已经在系统中展示了Q~107和更高的值，在这些系统中，精确的光波数量适合‘耳语走廊’模式，这导致了高灵敏度紧凑型平台的开发。平行法布里-珀罗腔中传输的波长调谐光谱允许同时对数千个独立特征(或结合事件)进行灵敏的无标记检测。荧光发射的光谱干扰(或共振)允许对反射表面上的位置进行亚纳米确定。在生物应用中制造超敏感和超小型设备的目标将建立在波士顿大学在光子学、生物医学工程、物理和计算方面已有的跨学科优势的基础上。波士顿大学的研究团队在光学设计、仪器和表征以及生物技术方面拥有专业知识。这些项目将受益于国际合作伙伴在以下方面的专业知识：(1)详细的物理建模(伊斯坦布尔Koc大学的Aksen教授)；(2)器件和晶片制造(安卡拉Bilkent大学的Ozbay教授和洛桑EPFL的Ionescu教授)；(3)定制模拟/数字电路设计(洛桑EPFL的Leblebiti教授)以及实验室和免费基础设施的组合。在该项目期间，每年将支持五名博士生获得国际经验，每个学生预计将在海外度过3个月。该项目的成功将意味着在这里和与国际合作伙伴建立可持续的组织结构，以激励新一代科学家将全球研究和教育灌输到他们对科学研究的基本哲学方法中。智力优势：拟议的IRES计划将把土耳其和瑞士机构的专业知识与波士顿大学的科学家结合起来，解决用于生物传感和成像的共振光学结构中的难题。PIS将把一大批研究生的智力培养成新一代的科学家，其核心理念包括全球科技互动。更广泛的影响：教科文组织将长期致力于为研究和教育领域的国际合作建立可持续的模式和基础设施，从而产生广泛的影响。我们在生物传感器和生物成像方面研究的预期科学成果将对从DNA构象基础研究到DNA和蛋白质微阵列以及生物毒素检测的各种科学学科产生重大影响。这些科学成果中有许多具有重大的社会影响。最后，该计划将产生更广泛的影响，将重点放在招聘和留住人数不足的少数族裔和妇女上，并通过GK-12项目，将具有全球视野的学生与面向工程学女性和服务不足的当地学校教师的外联计划联系起来。

0601631UnluThis award supports international research experience for students in a project by a team of scientists from Boston University (BU) led by the PI, Dr. Selim Unlu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in collaboration with Dr. Irsadi Aksun, Electrical Engineering Department, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey and Dr. Yusuf Leblebici, Electrical Engineering Department, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The research focus is on applications of optical resonance to biosensing and imaging. The general approach is based on utilizing resonance to dramatically increase the stored optical energy density and thus enhance the interaction with the biological specimens bound on solid surfaces. They will focus on three specific projects based on resonance enhancement in biosensing and imaging. Ring resonators have demonstrated Q~107 and higher in systems where the precise number of optical waves fit around in a 'whispering gallery' mode leading to development of highly sensitive compact platforms. Wavelength tuning spectroscopy of transmission in parallel Fabry-Perot cavities allows for sensitive label-free sensing of many thousands of independent features (or binding events) simultaneously. Spectral interference (or resonance) of fluorescent emission allow for sub-nm determination of position over a reflective surface. The goal to make ultra-sensitive and ultra-small devices in biological applications will build upon established interdisciplinary strengths at BU in photonics, biomedical engineering, physics, and computation. The BU research team has expertise in optical design, instrumentation and characterization as well as biotechnology. The projects will benefit from the expertise of the international partners in (1) detailed physical modeling (Prof. Aksun at Koc University, Istanbul), (2) device and wafer fabrication (Prof. Ozbay at Bilkent U. in Ankara and Prof. Ionescu at EPFL, Lausanne) and (3) custom analog/digital circuit design (Prof. Leblebici at EPFL, Lausanne) as well as a combination of laboratories and complimentary infrastructure. Five PhD students will be supported per year acquiring international experience during the course of the project where each student is expected to spend 3 months overseas. Success in the project will mean sustainable organizational structure both here and with the international partners to inspire a new generation of scientists to instill global research and education into their basic philosophical approach to scientific inquiry. Intellectual merit: Proposed IRES program will combine expertise from Turkish and Swiss institutions together with scientists from Boston University to solve difficult problems in resonant optical structures for biological sensing and imaging. The PIs will develop the intellect of a large cadre of graduate students into a new breed of scientists whose core philosophy includes global scientific and technological interactions. Broader impact: The broad impact of will be in its long-term focus on developing a sustainable model and infrastructure for international collaborations in research and education. The expected scientific output of our research in biosensors and biological imaging will have significant impact in a variety of scientific disciplines from basic research on DNA conformation to DNA and protein micro-arrays and to bio-toxin detection. Many of these scientific outcomes have significant societal implications. Finally, the program will have broader impact through focused attention on recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities and women and in connecting students with a global perspective with outreach programs for women in engineering and teachers in underserved local schools through GK-12 projects.