IDR: A Novel Multiplexed Multichannel Biosensor Chip for High-Throughput Detection of Macromolecular Biomarkers

该奖项的研究目标是创造一种能够高通量和高灵敏度地同时检测多个大分子生物标志物的多重微流控生物传感器。所采取的方法将是使用超稳定纳米凝胶的免疫聚集分析和多路多通道电阻脉冲传感阵列的集成。在免疫聚集分析中，与特定多克隆抗体相对应的生物标记物将引起抗体功能化的纳米凝胶的聚集；纳米凝胶-生物标记物聚集体将被阻性脉冲传感阵列检测，由于其大小，大大放大了传感信号。该阻性脉冲传感阵列将允许在纳米凝胶-生物标记物聚集体通过传感通道时对其进行并行检测。频分多路复用将应用于来自并行传感通道的信号，以实现仅使用单组检测电子设备的高吞吐量检测。如果成功，这项研究的好处将有助于改进生物传感技术，对液体环境中的各种生物目标进行快速和现场分析，如生物标志物、毒素、病毒和病原体，从而能够改善疾病诊断/预后，增强国土安全和改善水安全。该项目将为参与研究的研究生和本科生提供多学科培训机会。该项目还旨在开发和部署生物传感器和与微/纳米技术有关的教育材料，并有助于激励来自代表性不足群体的K-12学生和本科生追求科学和工程事业。通过阿克伦大学的“增加工程学术多样性”、“工程学中的女性”和“高中桥”计划，将招募本科生和高中生进行这一项目的研究，重点是代表性不足的少数族裔和女性。

The research objective of this award is to create a multiplexed microfluidic biosensor that allows simultaneous detection of multiple macromolecular biomarkers with high throughput and high sensitivity. The approach taken will be an integration of an immunoaggregation assay using ultra-stable nanogels and a multiplexed multichannel resistive pulse sensing array. In the immunoaggregation assay, biomarkers corresponding to specific polyclonal antibodies will cause aggregation of the nanogels functionalized by the antibodies; the nanogel-biomarker aggregates will be detected by a resistive pulse sensing array, dramatically amplifying the sensing signals because of their large size. The resistive pulse sensing array will allow parallel detection of nanogel-biomarker aggregates as they pass through the sensing channels. Frequency division multiplexing will be applied to the signals from the parallel sensing channels to enable high throughput detection using only a single set of detection electronics. If successful, the benefits of this research will contribute to improved biosensing technology for rapid and onsite analysis of a wide variety of biological targets such as biomarkers, toxins, virus and pathogens in liquid environment, and thus will enable improved disease diagnosis/prognosis, enhanced homeland security and improved water safety. This project will provide multidisciplinary training opportunity for the graduate and undergraduate students involved in the research. The project also aims to develop and deploy biosensor and micro/nano technology-related educational materials and contribute to motivating K-12 students and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to pursue science and engineering careers. Through University of Akron's "Increasing Diversity in Engineering Academics," "Women in Engineering" and "High School Bridge" programs, undergraduate students and high school students will be recruited to conduct research in this project, with an emphasis on underrepresented minorities and women.