Mass Transport through Single Carbon Nanotube

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The proposed research employs a unique configuration of fiber-protected carbon nanotube as a building block to construct carbon nanotube based nano-injector and nanopore devices for biomedical applications. Advanced semiconductor processing tools such as focused ion beams instrument will be used to fabricate these nano-devices. The development of focused ion beam technique to fabricate nano-device that can be applied to fields of biology and medicine is the main goal of this proposed research. When coupled with atomic force microscope, the proposed nano-injector will have the ability to deliver minute but precise amount of bio-molecules to a specific location inside a living cell with nanometer spatial resolution. There are several major advantages to use carbon nanotube as a nano-injector to deliver biomedical materials into a cell: (a) the aspect ratio of carbon nanotube makes it an ideal candidate for injector application, (b) the large Young's modulus of carbon nanotube makes it very strong to withstand bending force, (c) the ideal size of carbon nanotube, so it will not damage the cell wall during injection. The proposed nanopore devices could be used to count or sort nanometer size particles or bio-molecules such as nuclear acids or small proteins. A test of principle experiment is proposed to deliver plasmid transcription units into intracellular compartments of a living cell. This research effort will have broad impacts on cell biology and biomedical research. The proposed carbon nanotube-based nano-devices such as nano-injectors or nanopore devices could open up new filed in cell biology. The proposed research on using focused ion beams technique to fabricate new nano-devices will also contribute to the development of new fabrication methodology using focused ion beam technique. This research project will also seek to develop close ties with several local high schools and community colleges and help to train community college and high school students.