Tunable On-Demand Microfluidic Separations Using Traveling Wave Electrophoresis

1066730 carroll建议进一步发展一种新的微流体分离技术，称为行波电泳（TWE）。该技术利用交错电极阵列产生的电场波通过微通道输送带电物质。为了研究多肽和其他生物分子系统的复杂混合物的有效分离方法，建议的研究将集中在两个目标上：(a)建立分子浓度、电泳迁移率和TWE中的分子扩散对带色散的依赖，以及(b)利用可通过TWE获得的新型分离模式证明复杂多肽混合物的TWE分离。这些实验目标将与TWE系统的理论建模协同作用，以了解该过程的基本能力和限制。提出的目标将通过实验和建模来实现，这些实验和建模来源于明确证明该技术可行性的初步模型和实验。提出的研究解决了对高分辨率，高通量复杂生物分子样品表征的鲁棒，可控，按需分离技术的关键需求。TWE分离与其他电泳微流控分离技术的区别在于，它使用一种电波来传输迁移率超过可调阈值的物种。TWE有望通过分离和非分离传输之间的实时切换实现最小色散的分离和无限长度的分离，从而实现对密切迁移分析物的极高分辨率分离。这项工作的影响将在蛋白质组学、分子生物学、细胞生物学、遗传学、材料合成和纳米科学中感受到。该系统有可能对蛋白质组学和分子生物学做出特别大的贡献，因为它能够分离存在于不同浓度的密切相关的分子物种。在不牺牲分离效率的情况下，基于单个通道中分离带的局部位置独立控制其速度的能力如果实现，将被证明是革命性的。这项工作的更广泛影响包括五个主要领域。在西弗吉尼亚州，特别重要的是将教师研究经验纳入其中。我们将把中学教师纳入研究项目，提供获得专业发展学分的机会，并开发符合国家指导方针的课程元素，以便将其纳入课堂。该项目将延续到夏季之后，pi将在课堂上与教师和学生互动，并为参与的教师提供机会，展示他们在地方和国家背景下的研究和课程努力。pi积极参与本科和研究生课程的开发，这些课程强调纳米科学和纳米技术在科学和社会中的重要性。这些课程涵盖了物理科学、工程、生物医学和人文科学等不同学科的学生，并为促进大学内部思想的交流提供了一个共同的论坛。该项目将资助两名研究生，一名理论研究生，一名实验研究生。该项目的工作将促进发展中的物理学家和化学家在培训期间的跨学科互动，这在这个多学科研究的时代是一个非常重要的好处。通过现有的SURE， REU和LSAMP项目，将在本科生的夏季研究经历中完成对代表性不足群体的外展。此外，与当地公司Protea， Inc.的持续合作将使研究创新能够立即纳入蛋白质分析商业产品的开发中。

1066730CarrollProposed is the additional development of a new technique for microfluidic separations called traveling-wave electrophoresis (TWE). This technique employs an electric field wave produced by interdigitated electrode arrays to transport charged species through a microchannel. To investigate approaches for efficient separations of complex mixtures of peptides and other biomolecular systems, the proposed research will focus on two aims: (a) establishing the dependence of band dispersion on molecular concentration, electrophoretic mobility, and molecular diffusion in TWE, and (b) demonstrating TWE separations of complex mixtures of peptides using novel separation modes accessible through TWE. These experimental aims will synergistically interact with theoretical modeling of the TWE system to understand the fundamental capabilities and limits of the process. The proposed goals will be accomplished through experiments and modeling stemming from preliminary models and experiments that have unequivocally demonstrated the feasibility of the technique. The proposed research addresses the critical need for robust, controllable, on-demand separation techniques for high-resolution, high-throughput characterization of complex biomolecular samples. TWE separations distinguish themselves from other electrophoretic microfluidic separation techniques by the use of an electric wave to transport species whose mobilities exceed a tunable threshold. TWE holds promise for separations with minimal dispersion and separations of infinite length achieved via real-time switching between separative and non-separative transport, allowing extremely high resolution separations of closely migrating analytes. The impact of this work will be felt in proteomics, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, materials synthesis, and nanoscience. The system has the potential to make particularly strong contributions to proteomics and molecular biology based on its capability to separate closely related molecular species present in vastly different concentrations. The ability to independently control the velocities of separated bands in a single channel based on their local position without sacrificing separation efficiency will prove to be revolutionary if realized. The broader impacts of this work consist of five major areas. Of particular importance in the state of West Virginia is the incorporation of a Research Experience for Teachers. We will incorporate secondary school teachers into the research program, providing opportunities for professional development credits, and developing curricular elements meeting state guidelines for incorporation into their classrooms. The program will extend beyond the summer with the PIs interacting with the teachers and their students in the classroom, and providing opportunities for participating teachers to present their research and curricular efforts in both local and national settings. The PIs are actively involved in the development of undergraduate and graduate course work that emphasizes the importance of nanoscience and nanotechnology, both in science and in society at large. These courses reach students across different disciplines in the physical sciences, engineering, biomedicine, and the humanities and provide a common forum to facilitate cross-pollination of ideas within the university. The project will provide funding for two graduate students, one theoretical and one experimental. Work on this project will promote interdisciplinary interactions between developing physicists and chemists during their training, a very important benefit in this era of multi-disciplinary research. Outreach to underrepresented groups will be accomplished in summer research experiences for undergraduates through existing SURE, REU, and LSAMP programs. In addition, ongoing relationships with a local company, Protea, Inc. will allow immediate incorporation of research innovations in the development of commercial products for protein analysis.