Electro-Fluidics for Single-Molecule Biophysics

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 0805176 PI: Stein， Derek ORG: Brown university标题：单分子生物物理学的电流体学知识优势：该研究计划将探索硬物质和软物质之间的界面，其中带电生物分子被限制在超小，静电驱动的水环境中。这一努力的成功将为“片上实验室”增加一个重要的新维度。有可能彻底改变医疗诊断的设备。纳米流体结构将直接对单个带电生物分子施加可控制的静电力，如下所示。带负电荷的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的影响。通过使用栅极局部调整表面电位，将创造出一个势能景观，使DNA处于局部最小值。因此，单个分子将被限制和操纵在纯静电壁上。这一目标的独特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)在定义良好的纳米流体结构中，单个DNA聚合物对施加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。将演示用于操纵单个分子的静电驱动门。这项工作的长期愿景包括集成用于测试单分子动力学的静电门，以及实现能够定位单一酶反应（如DNA转录）的超小型生物反应器。利用栅极有选择地控制硅基人工细胞的含量，也应该使自下而上的实验成为可能。生物学，细胞的生化功能可以逐渐增强。更广泛的影响：该项目中正在开发的技术不仅提供了一条关于静电在控制单个聚电解质分子行为中的作用的新信息的途径，它有可能为纳米流体装置提供新的控制机制。该项目还为物理、化学、生物和材料科学领域的研究生和本科生提供了一个良好的培训平台。PI经常将本科生纳入他的研究团队，并参与旨在增加科学劳动力多样性的校园范围内的项目。特别是，他参与了领导联盟计划，该计划旨在增加代表性不足的群体在领先研究机构的研究生水平课程中的参与，并参与了科学与工程女性（WiSE）计划，该计划已成为吸引女性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.