CAREER: Scalable, high-precision optoelectronic lab-on-a-chip towards next-generation precision therapeutics

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Precision therapeutics will benefit from biomedical devices that can acquire cellular/molecular information specific to targeted patient groups. This research project aims to establish scalable, high-precision lab-on-a-chip technologies that will ultimately lead to enabling tools in next-generation precision therapeutics. The outcome of this research will result in new engineering tools and disease related assays that will likely make an impact in pharmatheutical screening, immunotherapeutic development, and point-of-care systems. The educational objectives of this proposal are aimed at training and inspiring young engineers and scientists who are equipped with the multidisciplinary background required to help define the future trajectory of personalized medicine, neuroengineering, and point-of-care systems. The broader impacts of this project include: 1) advancing transformative device technologies for scalable, high-precision lab-on-a-chip systems and providing powerful tools for pharmatheutics and point-of-care testing; 2) educating underrepresented undergraduate and graduate researchers to contribute to the nation’s workforce needs in bioengineering and healthcare; 3) contributing to the K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education by weekend seminars and mentoring student-teacher pairs from local middle schools; and 4) promoting biological sciences and biotechnology among local senior citizens and support groups for neurological diseases and immunological disorders. The research objective of this proposal is to establish two high-precision optoelectronic lab-on-a-chips built with scalable fabrication process, aiming to offer high-content analysis at cellular and molecular levels towards next-generation precision therapeutics. Both lab-on-a-chips will be built in a highly scalable array form, with their precision being evaluated in cultured neuronal network and blood samples, respectively. The proposed work will open ample research opportunities in drug screening for neurological diseases and point-of-care testing for patients with acute immune symptoms. The intellectual merit of the proposed work will be evidenced by three major contributions: 1) a scalable, high-precision optoelectronic lab-on-a-chip capable of precise optogenetic control, electrical recording, and electrical field stimulation of neural activity; 2) a scalable, high-precision optoelectronic lab-on-a-chip capable of multiplexed on-chip fluorescence detection of biomarkers that are related to immune responses; and 3) drug-screening and immune response monitoring assays using these two lab-on-a-chips, which will shed light on therapeutics development targeted to neurological and autoimmune diseases.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.