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

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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.