Nanophotonics of RE/DNA/nanotube materials: From bio-sensing-on-chip to live stem cell measurements

RE/DNA/纳米管材料的纳米光子学：从片上生物传感到活干细胞测量

• 批准号: 1822736
• 负责人: Slava Rotkin
• 金额: $ 10.95万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-01 至 2019-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1822736&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Nanophotonics; RE; DNA; nanotube; materials

Abstract Title: Fundamental physics and biosensing applications of composite fluorescent nanomaterials rare-earths combined with DNA-enclosed carbon nanotubesNontechnical:Nanomaterials have influenced drastically several aspects of modern life, one of those is associated with their power in medicine and health care. This research involves rare-earth based materials due to their excellent fluorescence rare earths have already found a significant application niche in lighting, solar cells, sensors, biological and medical diagnostics and imaging. The bioimaging applications will be further advanced in this project. It is a continuation of the previous study in which rare-earths were combined with a unique nanocarbon material, so called single-wall nanotubes. Nanotubes by themselves has been already used in various miniaturized sensors, which are so extremely small that can be placed on a fabric thread. Most recently this group proposed using nanotubes enclosed in the DNA for studying live cells and has obtained promising results. It has been already demonstrated how nanomaterials could improve sensing capabilities of rare-earths. New project will extend this study and focus on nanotubes as tiny antennas to magnify the optical signals received by rare-earths. Due to small (nanometer) scale of these optical elements they can penetrate inside the cells and transmit the biologically relevant information from there, potentially improving our knowledge about how cells work as building blocks of organisms and helping medicine and health sciences in solving their current problems. This research is accompanied by a vigorous outreach program, aimed both on the local community and STEM students nationwide.Technical:This project focuses on developing and studying materials for bioimaging based on the rare-earth complexes with single-wall nanotubes and single strand DNA. Significance of this research is in developing a new biosensing material. Since single-wall nanotubes have diameters of only a few nanometers, they are comparable to many biological macromolecules such as enzymes, antibodies, DNA plasmids, etc. and may interact with intracellular environment. This makes them increasingly relevant for new opportunities in biomedical research and applications. Though at early stage, this project enlighten us about how the living organisms, at the cell level, may be influenced by new modern nanomaterials (nanotubes) upon ingestion. Using optical non-destructing characterization the fate of the nanotubes inside the cells has been already determined on the previous stage of the project. In the course of new project the team will work on intertwined theoretical and experimental tasks, including experimental optical characterization and theory of near-field electromagnetic modes in the hybrid materials of nanotubes-DNA-rare-earth-ions; exploring performance of these nanomaterials for bio-sensing applications in photonic-crystals and inside bio-mimetic hydrogels; studying the role of hotspots in nanotube materials and their influence on the photoluminescence of rare-earth ions and/or DNA; experimental studies of modulation of optical response of photonic crystals incorporating biosensing materials inside its lattice; application of these nanomaterials inside micro-fluidics sensing system and to studying in vitro neural stem cell. A series of samples will be studied, prepared at Lehigh University as well as at University of Utah, LANL and NIST via the collaboration links. A diverse program for dissemination of those results involves research advising and teaching at Lehigh, outreach at local schools (Palisades High School, Moravian Academy), participation in exhibition at a school children development National facility (the DaVinci Discovery Center), STEM enhancement programs via local Community Colleges (NCCC, LCTI and LCCC) and local Kutztown University, REU and GAAN programs within the Physics Department.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

摘要标题：复合荧光纳米材料稀土与 DNA 封装碳纳米管相结合的基础物理和生物传感应用非技术：纳米材料极大地影响了现代生活的多个方面，其中之一与其在医学和保健方面的力量有关。这项研究涉及稀土基材料，因为稀土具有优异的荧光特性，已经在照明、太阳能电池、传感器、生物和医学诊断和成像领域找到了重要的应用领域。该项目将进一步推进生物成像应用。这是先前研究的延续，其中稀土与独特的纳米碳材料（所谓的单壁纳米管）相结合。纳米管本身已被用于各种微型传感器，这些传感器非常小，可以放置在织物线上。最近，该小组提出使用封装在 DNA 中的纳米管来研究活细胞，并取得了有希望的结果。纳米材料如何提高稀土的传感能力已经被证明。新项目将扩展这项研究，重点关注纳米管作为微型天线，以放大稀土接收的光信号。由于这些光学元件的尺寸较小（纳米），它们可以穿透细胞内部并从那里传输生物学相关信息，这可能会提高我们对细胞如何作为生物体构建模块的了解，并帮助医学和健康科学解决当前的问题。这项研究还伴随着一项积极的推广计划，针对当地社区和全国 STEM 学生。技术：该项目重点开发和研究基于单壁纳米管和单链 DNA 的稀土复合物的生物成像材料。这项研究的意义在于开发一种新的生物传感材料。由于单壁纳米管的直径只有几纳米，因此可以与酶、抗体、DNA质粒等许多生物大分子相媲美，并且可以与细胞内环境相互作用。这使得它们与生物医学研究和应用的新机会越来越相关。虽然处于早期阶段，但该项目启发我们了解生物体在细胞水平上如何在摄入后受到新的现代纳米材料（纳米管）的影响。使用光学非破坏性表征，细胞内纳米管的命运已在项目的前一阶段确定。在新项目过程中，该团队将致力于相互交织的理论和实验任务，包括纳米管-DNA-稀土离子混合材料中的实验光学表征和近场电磁模式理论；探索这些纳米材料在光子晶体和仿生水凝胶中的生物传感应用的性能；研究热点在纳米管材料中的作用及其对稀土离子和/或DNA光致发光的影响；晶格内结合生物传感材料的光子晶体光学响应调制的实验研究；这些纳米材料在微流体传感系统中的应用以及体外神经干细胞的研究。理海大学以及犹他大学、LANL 和 NIST 将通过合作链接研究和准备一系列样本。传播这些成果的多样化计划包括在里哈伊大学提供研究咨询和教学、在当地学校（帕利塞兹高中、摩拉维亚学院）进行推广、参加学校儿童发展国家设施（达芬奇探索中心）的展览、通过当地社区学院（NCCC、LCTI 和 LCCC）以及当地库兹敦大学、物理系内的 REU 和 GAAN 项目开展 STEM 增强计划。该奖项反映了 NSF 的贡献 法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。