Nanofluidic Charge Coupled Devices for Molecular Separation and Sensing

分子分离是分子诊断和分析基因组学和蛋白质组学研究中的分子生物标志物的核心。凝胶电泳和毛细管电泳是两种主要的基于电荷/尺寸分散的分子分离技术。本课题的研究目的是探索一种新型的纳米流体分子电荷耦合器件（CCD），该器件适用于集成电流分子分离和传感，与传统的凝胶电泳和毛细管电泳有本质区别。本文提出的纳米流体分子CCD是基于纳米流体系统中独特的场效应耦合，利用纳米处独特的静电耦合可以开发新的传输行为和功能。该项目的成功将通过探索新型纳米流体分子CCD的丰富特性来改变生物分子传感和分离。该项目还包括教育和推广活动，将研究工作和成果与研究生、本科和K-12教育紧密结合起来，并在全球传播研究和教育成果。纳米尺度的分子传输在许多生物、化学、物理和工程系统中起着重要作用。纳米通道为探索纳米尺度分子的新现象提供了一个独特的平台。通过利用在这些尺度上发生的特定耦合，可以开发新的传输行为和功能。尽管CCD图像传感器已经成为各种科学和工程学科中不可缺少的各种应用工具，但在纳米通道中对带电生物分子进行类似的桶式运输和分析还没有被探索和实现。本课题拟通过合理设计、仿真、制造和验证新型纳米流体分子CCD器件，探索场效应控制的带电荷分子桶队输运。这项研究的结果将使可控分子运输和分离的范式转变成为可能。实现一种用于桶级传输和分析的类ccd装置的主要挑战是缺乏对纳米尺度上带电分子的动态电场耦合的基本理解，以及缺乏可行的自上而下的工程制造方法来生产金属-绝缘体-纳米通道（MIN）结构。本文的研究目标将通过以下三个方面来实现：(1)了解纳米流体分子CCD的器件物理特性；(2)探索可行的器件制造和集成技术；(3)研究纳米流体分子CCD在生物分子运输和分离方面的应用。

Molecular separation is at the heart of molecular diagnosis and analyzing molecular biomarkers in genomics and proteomics studies. Gel and capillary electrophoresis are two dominant molecule separation technologies based on charge/size dispersion. The research objective of this proposal is to explore a novel nanofluidic molecular charge-coupled device (CCD) suitable for integrated electro-fluidic molecular separation and sensing, fundamentally different from the conventional gel and capillary electrophoresis. The proposed nanofluidic molecular CCD is based on the unique field effect coupling in nanofluidic systems, in which new transport behavior and functionality can be developed by leveraging the unique electrostatic coupling at the nanometer. The success of the proposed project will transform the biomolecule sensing and separation by exploring the rich properties of the novel nanofluidic molecular CCD. The project also includes education and outreach activities to tightly integrate the research efforts and results with graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 education and to globally disseminate both research and the education outcomes.Molecule transport at nanometer scale plays an important role in many biological, chemical, physical and engineering systems. Nanoscale channels offer a unique platform to explore new phenomena appearing for molecule confined in nanometers scales. New transport behavior and functionalities can be developed by taking advantage of the specific couplings occurring at these scales. Despite the fact that CCD image sensors have been indispensable tools for a variety of applications in various scientific and engineering disciplines, a similar bucket brigade transport and analysis of charged biomolecules in nanochannels has not been explored and realized. The proposed research will explore the field effect controlled bucket brigade transport of charged molecules by rational design, simulation, fabrication, and validation of a novel nanofluidic molecule CCD device. The outcome of the research will enable a paradigm shift in controllable molecule transport and separation. The major challenges in realizing a CCD-like device for bucket brigade transport and analysis are the lack of fundamental understanding of the dynamic electric field coupling to the charged molecules at the nanoscale, and the lack of feasible top-down engineered fabrication methods to produce the metal-insulator-nanochannel (MIN) structure. The proposed research objectives will be achieved through the following three aims: (i) Understand the device physics of nanofluidic molecular CCD, (ii) Explore viable device fabrication and integration techniques, and (iii) Investigate nanofluidic molecular CCDs for biomolecule transport and separation.