EAGER: Integrating Multiple Biomarkers in Nano-Sensor Arrays for Enhanced Detection of Prostate Cancer

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The National Science Foundation uses the Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) funding mechanism to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This EAGER project was awarded as a result of the invitation in the Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16-080 to proposers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to submit proposals that would strengthen research capacity of faculty at the institution. The project at Tennessee State University aims to design and develop nano-cantilever resonators functionalized with multiple biomarkers to provide for an accurate, highly sensitive, fast, and low-cost method for the detection of prostate cancer.This project seeks to explore the feasibility of integrating multiple biomarkers in a nano-cantilever array to provide for an accurate, highly sensitive, fast, and low-cost method for the detection of prostate cancer. The sensor cantilever array will be designed and fabricated, each cantilever will be functionalized with a different biomarker, and the response from the array will be measured and mapped together to provide a model for detecting prostate cancer. It is proposed that the sensor array will generate more data about the sample to be analyzed and provide for a more accurate and specific detection method, reducing the number of false positives generated. The main tasks to be completed to achieve this objective are: the design of the nano-cantilevers; fabrication of the nano-electromechanical systems devices; functionalizing the nano-resonator surfaces, including the conjugation of the gold nanoparticles with each of the four biomarkers to be used and the application of each bio-substrate on a nano-cantilever; and testing of the nano-cantilever array. This work could be expanded in the future to provide a framework for the use of multiple biomarkers for other sensing mechanisms where specificity and sensitivity are an issue. This EAGER project is funded by the Engineering Directorate.