CAREER: Biomolecular Nanophotonic Fabry-Perot Interferometry (BioNanoFPI)

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CAREER: Biomolecular Nanophotonic Fabry-Perot Interferometry (BioNanoFPI)The proposes to design a Biomolecular Nanophotonic Fabry-Perot Interferometer (BioNanoFPI) platform that will allow scalable parallel detection of multiple bio-agents with concentrations in the femtomole range and ease-of-operation using a broadband white light source instead of a laser. The development of a polymer-based micromachined FPI (µFPI) with integrated nanostructures will enable a BioNanoFPI platform that allows for the creation of two-dimensional, highly-multiplexed, inexpensive arrays to conduct large-scale parallel screening of chemical and biomedical libraries.The objective of this CAREER project is to establish a significant advancement in biomolecular nanophotonics by theoretical modeling and interfacing liquid-state biopolymers to solid-state nanophotonic and micromachined devices. There are three main components of this career development plan. The scientific component of this project focuses on: (i) the theoretical modeling and understanding of and experimental confirmation of the signal enhancement mechanism of the nanopillar plasmonic substrates, and the interactions between the nanopillar-plasmonic substrates and micromachined Fabry-Perot Interferometry (µFPI); (ii) the theoretical modeling of the dielectric behavior of biopolymers and experimental elucidation of interactions of antibodies and antigens in the nanostructured Fabry-Perot cavity. The technological component of this project focuses on: (i) the development of an inexpensive nanofabrication process to construct a nanopillar array for plasmonic substrates; (ii) the precise control of sub100 nm nanostructure/nanopillar arrays in the µFPI cavity for highly sensitive label free bioassays, and a robust batch fabrication method of nanostructure-filled polymer-based µFPI arrays integrated with micro and nanofluidic networks. Intellectual merit: This proposed research will help advance fundamental knowledge of signal enhancement mechanisms of the nanopillar plasmonic substrates and the BioNanoFPI micro/nanosystem. Understanding the fundamental physical mechanism of this micro/nanosystem might trigger other important ideas and innovations for bionanotechnology applications. This research has a broad range of applications to pathogen, disease detection, environmental monitoring and security. In addition, drug screening and discovery can benefit tremendously by using high throughput multiplexed label-free biosensing.Broader impacts: The PI proposes a coherent and comprehensive education, dissemination and outreach component that includes developing a new technical elective course ?Introduction to Nano-biophotonics,? integrating research results with existing nano and micro courses, mentoring graduate, undergraduate and underrepresented students and dissemination and outreach to the local community. A webpage will be designed especially to disseminate the outcomes of ?Introduction to Nano-biophotonics.? The proposed educational and outreach program will be accomplished through the NSF-sponsored REU program at Louisiana Tech to educate undergraduate students and through the NSF-sponsored NERO program to educate women and under-represented students in K-12, high school and prospective students from local small rural and small town schools. The overall educational goal is to help next-generation workforce development by training students to carry out research with sound theory and allowing them to gain hands-on laboratory skills for their advanced careers.