IGERT: Nanobiosensors, Nanomaterials, and Microfluidics

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The development of ultra-sensitive biological and chemical sensors is one of the grand scientific, engineering, and educational challenges of the 21st century. Under the broad heading of NanoBioSensors (NBS), this Integrative Graduate Education and Traineeship (IGERT) program will address these challenges through an innovative integration of materials for the recognition of target pathogens using sensor platforms that exploit breakthroughs in nanomaterials, miniaturization, sample collection and preparation strategies, and signal detection. It will focus on the development of advanced systems for the rapid, ultra-sensitive detection of pathogens responsible for disease as well as those central to food safety and security and the environment. This program will be strongly embedded in the new, statewide USTAR (Utah Science, Technology, and Research) initiative focused on advancing research and development in NBS, nanomaterials, and biodiagnostic devices. The next generation of research leaders in these areas will require high levels of training in several traditional science and engineering disciplines. This IGERT is designed to lessen longstanding boundaries separating these fields, and establish or expand collaborative ventures in ultra-high sensitivity detection, molecular recognition, surface characterization, interfacial reactivity, micro- and nano-fabrication, and microfluidics. These experiences will be augmented by internships as well as instruction in ethics, creativity, communication, teamwork, and entrepreneurship, all of which play an increasingly vital role in the rapidly evolving scientific and business environments. A diverse group of trainees will be aggressively recruited and actively mentored. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.