Electro-Fluidics for Single-Molecule Biophysics

ID：MPS/dmr/bmat(7623)0805176 PI：Stein，Derek ORG：Brown University标题：用于单分子生物物理学的电流体INTELLECTUCTUAL优点：这项研究计划将探索带电生物分子限于超小、静电驱动的水环境中的硬物质和软物质之间的界面。这一努力的成功将为芯片实验室增加一个重要的新维度？有可能给医疗诊断带来革命性变化的设备。纳米流体结构将直接对单个带电生物分子施加可控的静电力，如下所示。带负电的DNA分子被限制在宽度与德拜长度相当的纳米流体通道中，将受到表面电位梯度产生的力。通过使用栅电极局部调整表面电势，将创建一种势能景观，将DNA捕获在局部最小值。因此，单个分子将被限制在纯粹的静电墙内并被操纵。这一目标的不同科学方面将通过以下基础研究来解决：(1)门控材料对离子溶液中静电力的调制，以及(2)单个DNA聚合物对明确定义的纳米流体结构中施加的静电力的构象和动力学响应。由此产生的洞察力将指导设想的电流体的发展？技术将演示一种用于操纵单个分子的静电驱动的门。这项工作的长期愿景包括集成静电门来测试单分子动力学，并实现能够定位单一酶反应的超小型生物反应器，如DNA转录。使用门来选择性地控制硅基人造电池的成分，也应该能够实现自下而上的实验。BROADER影响：该项目正在开发的技术不仅提供了有关静电在调节单个聚电解质分子行为中的作用的新信息的途径，而且有可能为纳米流体设备提供新的控制机制。该项目还为培养物理、化学、生物和材料科学领域的研究生和本科生提供了一个极好的平台。PI经常在他的研究团队中包括本科生，并且是旨在增加科学工作者多样性的校园计划的参与者。特别是，他参与了领导力联盟计划，该计划旨在增加未被充分代表的群体参与领先研究机构的研究生水平课程，以及女性科学与工程(WISE)计划，该计划一直是吸引女学生加入他的研究小组的渠道。

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 0805176 PI: Stein, Derek ORG: Brown UniversityTitle: Electro-Fluidics for Single Molecule BiophysicsINTELLECTUAL MERIT: This research program will explore the interface between hard and soft matter where charged biomolecules are confined to ultra-small, electrostatically actuated, aqueous environments. Success in this effort will add an important new dimension to ?lab-on-a-chip? devices that have the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics. Nanofluidic structures will directly apply controllable electrostatic forces to a single, charged biomolecule as follows. A negatively charged DNA molecule that is confined to a nanofluidic channel whose width is comparable to the Debye length will be subjected to forces generated by surface potential gradients. By locally tuning the surface potential using gate electrodes, a potential energy landscape will be created that traps DNA at a local minimum. Individual molecules will thereby be confined and manipulated within purely electrostatic walls. The distinct scientific facets of this objective will be addressed through fundamental studies of: (1) the modulation of the electrostatic forces in ionic solution by gated materials, and (2) the conformational and dynamical response of individual DNA polymers to applied electrostatic forces in well-defined, nanofluidic structures. The resulting insight will guide the development of the envisioned ?electro-fluidic? technology. An electrostatically-actuated gate for the manipulation of a single molecule will be demonstrated. The long-term vision of this work includes the integration of electrostatic gates for testing single-molecule dynamics, and to realize ultra-small bioreactors capable of localizing a single enzymatic reaction, such as DNA transcription. The use of gates to selectively control the contents of a silicon-based, artificial cell should also enable experiments in ?bottom-up? biology, in which the biochemical functionality of the cell can be incrementally enhanced.BROADER IMPACTS: The technology under development in this project not only provides a route to new information about the role of electrostatics in governing the behavior of single polyelectrolyte molecules, it has the potential to provide new control mechanisms for nano-fluidic devices. The project also provides an excellent platform for training of graduate and undergraduate students across the domains of physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science. The PI regularly includes undergraduate students in his research team and is a participant in campus-wide programs that aim to increase the diversity of the scientific workforce. In particular, he is engaged with the Leadership Alliance Program, which seeks to increase participation of underrepresented groups in graduate level programs at leading research institutions, and with the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program, which has served as a channel for attracting female students to join his research group.