STTR Phase I: Miniature Biosensor Utilizing Nanomaterial Coatings

该小型企业技术转让（STTR）计划提议将光子传感、纳米技术和生物技术结合起来，展示一种供实验室使用和对生物威胁快速响应的新型生物传感器。该设备将由新型化学生物传感器构成，该传感器采用光纤光栅传感器技术，并通过独特的新型纳米材料涂层增强。新的传感方法与纳米材料特性的结合将产生一种低成本、快速、高灵敏度的微型设备，能够进行电池操作并集成到可部署单元中。已经证明可以检测液体和空气中的目标，该技术将检测细菌、神经毒剂、蛋白质和爆炸物。最终设备的预期检测限比目前使用现有实验室系统的检测限高 100 至 1000 倍。这种生物传感器的开发需要光学物理、生物化学、聚合物和界面化学等多学科的共同努力。如果成功，拟议的项目将推进以下领域的科学知识：（1）通过研究光子波导结构和上覆纳米材料薄膜中的电磁场/光场相互作用，增进对光子传感的理解，（2）通过研究亲和配体和离子自组装多层（ISAM）薄膜聚合物之间的共价结合机制，促进纳米材料应用的发展，从而形成合并多类目标的通用程序，（3）利用自动化促进组合评估技术的发展推理机减少对高特异性传感矢量的要求，最终实现智能传感并减少误报指示，以及（4）通过支持弗吉尼亚理工大学的研究生和本科生提供先进的教育机会，特别是在凝聚态和生物技术领域。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program proposes combining photonic sensing, nanotechnology and biotechnology to demonstrate a new type of biosensor for laboratory use and rapid response to biological threats. The proposed device will be constructed from a new type of chemical-biological sensor which uses fiber optic grating sensor technology enhanced with unique new nanomaterial coatings. The combination of the new sensing method with the nanomaterial properties will result in a low-cost, rapid, highly sensitive and miniature device capable of battery operation and integration into a deployable unit. Detection has been demonstrated both for fluid-borne and air-borne targets, and the technique will detect bacteria, nerve agents, proteins and explosives. Expected detection limits for the final device range from 100 to 1000 times better than is currently possible using existing laboratory systems. Development of such a biosensor will require a concerted multidisciplinary effort in optical physics, biochemistry, and polymer and interfacial chemistry. If successful the proposed project will advance scientific knowledge in the following areas: (1) Advance the understanding of photonic sensing through the study of electromagnetic/optical field interactions in the photonic waveguide structures and in the overlying nanomaterial films, (2) Advance the development of nanomaterial applications through study of the covalent binding mechanisms between the affinity ligands and the ionic self-assembled multilayers (ISAM) film polymers, resulting in a general procedure for incorporating multiple classes of targets, (3) Advance the development of combinatorial evaluation techniques utilizing automated reasoners to reduce the requirement for high specificity sensing vectors, ultimately leading to intelligent sensing and reduced false alarm indications, and (4) Provide advanced educational opportunities through support of graduate and undergraduate students at Virginia Tech, specifically in the condensed matter and biotechnology areas.