Plasmonically enhanced optical ring resonators for label-free single molecule detection

提出的合作研究的目标是开发一种等离子体增强光学谐振器（PEORR）传感器阵列，用于在单分子水平上检测未标记的生物分子。所提出的混合传感器协同微制造环形谐振器和纳米制造等离子体纳米结构。它利用环形谐振器优异的传感分辨率和等离子体纳米结构带来的极大增强的灵敏度来实现单分子检测，并利用环形谐振器的旋转木马效应来有效捕获和传输生物分子，从而实现样品富集和快速检测。智力优势：单分子水平的生物分子检测和研究允许以前所未有的细节探测和表征分子。传统的单分子检测主要依赖于荧光显微镜，这需要复杂的仪器和复杂的染料标记过程，这可能会对分子的功能产生不利影响。更广泛的影响：拟议的项目将由密歇根大学和纽约大学理工学院的术语协同进行。研究生将接受跨学科科学方面的培训，并通过交换项目在这两个实验室工作。本科生将与研究生配对，以获得实践经验。双方将在youtube上共同制作视频，宣传研究成果。最后，PI将与当地非博士合作。授权各大学开发一个暑期项目，让他们的学生在密歇根大学的PI'slab进行研究。

The objective of the proposed collaborative research is to develop a plasmonically enhanced opticalring resonator (PEORR) sensor array for unlabelled biomolecule detection at the single molecule level.The proposed hybrid sensor synergizes microfabricated ring resonators and nanofabricated plasmonicnanostructures. It takes advantage of the excellent sensing resolution associated with the ring resonatorand the tremendously enhanced sensitivity arising from the plasmonic nanostructures to achieve singlemolecule detection, and of the carousel effect from the ring resonator for efficient capture and transport ofbiomolecules for sample enrichment and expeditious detection. Intellectual Merit: Detection and study of biomolecules at the single molecule level allow to probe andcharacterize molecules in unprecedented detail. Traditional single molecule detection relies primarily onfluorescence microscopy, which requires sophisticated instruments and complicated dye labelingprocesses that may adversely affect a molecules functionality. Broader Impact: The proposed project will be carried out synergistically by the terms from the Universityof Michigan and the Polytechnic Institute at New York University. Graduate students will betrained in interdisciplinary science and will work in each of the two labs through an exchange program.Undergraduate students will be paired with graduate students to obtain hands-on experience. Videos onYoutube will be jointly created to publicize the research findings. Finally, the PI will work with local non-Ph.D. granting colleges to develop a summer program for their students to conduct research in the PI'slab at the University of Michigan.