Single-Molecule Mechanochemical Sensing for Multiplexed Tasks

该项目由美国国家科学基金会化学部化学测量和成像(CMI)计划资助。肯特州立大学的毛汉斌教授正在开发新的生物传感策略，这种策略具有高灵敏度，可以同时检测多个化学或生物目标。通过开发综合研究教育项目来培训高中生和大学生，以解决更广泛的影响。研究计划的许多部分都是模块化设计的，以适应高中生和大学生紧凑的时间表。这有利于这些学生参与STEM领域。这个项目使用单个大分子，如DNA，作为分析物传感的平台。在分析物结合后，大分子改变了它的构象，这伴随着机械性能的变化，如由于机械力-化学耦合而产生的张力。使用激光镊子，可以实时监测机械性能的变化，无需在单独的信号转导单元中使用额外的基础设施即可完成传感。由于使用了单分子模板，因此可以检测单个分子。这代表了生物传感的最高灵敏度。与其他单分子检测方案(如荧光)相比，力化学传感器中使用的力信号几乎不受环境噪声的影响。此外，力的测量不需要直接光激励，从而避免了对传感模板的光损伤。所有这些事实使得这种新的传感策略具有很强的可靠性和高灵敏度。

This project is funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI) program of the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation. Professor Hanbin Mao of Kent State University is developing new biosensing strategies that have high sensitivity to detect multiple chemical or biological targets simultaneously. Broader impacts are addressed through the development of integrated research-education projects to train high-school and college students. Many parts of research plans are modularly designed in to accommodate the tight schedules of high school and college students. This facilitates the participation of these students into the STEM fields.This project employs individual macromolecules, such as DNA, as platforms for analyte sensing. Upon the binding of an analyte, the macromolecule changes its conformation, which is accompanied by a variation in mechanical properties, such as tension, due to the mechanochemical coupling. Using laser tweezers, the change in the mechanical property is monitored in real time, accomplishing the sensing without extra infrastructure used in a separate signal transduction unit. Since single-molecule templates are used, detection of individual molecules is the result. This represents the utmost sensitivity for biosensing. Compared to other single-molecule detection schemes such as fluorescence, the force signal employed in a mechanochemical sensor suffers little from environmental noise. In addition, the measurement of force does not require direct light excitation, which avoids photo-damage to the sensing template. All these facts render strong reliability and high sensitivity for this new sensing strategy.