SGER: Resonant Microsensor Based on Decoupled Sensing Scheme for Liquid-Phase Biochemical Sensing

基于解耦传感方案的谐振微传感器液相生化传感本研究的目的是开发一种用于液相应用的谐振（生物）化学微传感器，以克服流体阻尼对传感器分辨率的挑战。该方法是将实际发生生物（化学）相互作用的微流体与转导元件（即机械谐振器）解耦。所提出的传感器概念确保了微谐振器的高q因子工作，从而提高了其短期频率稳定性并最终提高了传感器分辨率。此外，该设计简化了微流体界面，一个具有适当（功能化）电极的通道，从而避免了与液体直接暴露三维谐振微观结构相关的挑战。为期1年的SGER的目标是制造所提出的传感器并通过以下方式证明其适用性：(i)水中挥发性有机化合物的化学传感，以及（ii）基于抗体-抗原相互作用的生物标志物传感。该研究的智力价值源于谐振微传感器的新传感概念的发展，该概念将流体相互作用与实际谐振器振动解耦。该研究使谐振传感器的优势能够应用于液相传感应用，而液相传感通常受到大流体阻尼的困扰，从而导致传感器分辨率下降。更广泛的影响源于今天具有简化流体界面的高灵敏度微传感器的可用性。液相传感的应用范围从环境监测到医疗诊断。因此，跨学科的研究培养了从电气工程到生物学和医学等领域的研究生和本科生。此外，潜在的微观结构，即微型梁，足够简单，可以用于K-12扩展计划，以激发人们对科学和工程的兴趣，特别是微观和纳米技术。

Resonant Microsensor Based on Decoupled Sensing Schemefor Liquid-Phase Biochemical SensingThe objective of this research is to develop a resonant (bio)chemical microsensor for liquid-phase applications, which overcomes the challenge of fluid damping on the sensor resolution. The approach is to decouple the microfluidics, in which the actual bio(chemical) interaction takes place, from the transduction element, i.e. the mechanical resonator. The proposed sensor concept ensures high Q-factor operation of the microresonator, thus improving its short-term frequency stability and ultimately the sensor resolution. Moreover, the design simplifies the microfluidic interface, a channel with appropriate (functionalized) electrodes, thus avoiding challenges associated with direct exposure of a three-dimensional resonant microstructure to the liquid. The goal of the 1-year SGER is to fabricate the proposed sensor and demonstrate its applicability through: (i) chemical sensing of volatile organic compounds in water, and (ii) sensing of biomarkers based on antibody-antigen interaction. The intellectual merit of the research stems from the development of a new sensing concept for resonant microsensors, which decouples fluid interaction from the actual resonator vibrations. The research enables to apply the advantages of resonant sensors to liquid-phase sensing applications, which are normally plagued by large fluid damping and, thus, deteriorated sensor resolution.The broader impact stems from the availability of a highly sensitive microsensor with simplified fluidic interface for today?s liquid-phase sensing applications ranging from environmental monitoring to point-of-care medical diagnosis. Thereby, the cross-disciplinary research trains graduate and undergraduate students in areas spanning from electrical engineering to biology and medicine. Moreover, the underlying microstructures, namely miniaturized beams, are simple enough to be used in K-12 outreach programs to spark interest in science and engineering in general and micro- and nanotechnology in particular.