Dielectric characterization of biological nanoparticles using a dielectrophoretic slide

路易斯维尔大学获得了一项奖励，以开发一种微流体平台，可以测量生物纳米颗粒（蛋白质，病毒，外来体等）的电特性。通过监测它们在电场刺激下的反应。这种方法还为生物学家提供了一种新的高通量工具，可以在不进行化学改变的情况下表征和浓缩分子。一个由研究生和本科生组成的学生团队将使用微制造技术设计和建造该系统，同时还将通过路易斯维尔大学提供的课程接受创业培训。此外，高中生也将为该项目做出贡献，并将通过路易斯维尔大学与西路易斯维尔学校的签名合作伙伴关系招募。该研究项目的目标是开发一个专门的微流体平台，以获得对生物纳米粒子场诱导响应的基本见解。该平台将使纳米颗粒的电特性，其测量将有助于确认有关蛋白质和其他分子的电动力学的新兴理论。此外，研究结果将使发展先进的计划，以操纵纳米生物材料导致更快和/或更大的浓度的目标物种相对于目前的方法，否则受到限制的扩散为基础的transport.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

An award is made to the University of Louisville to develop a microfluidic platform that can measure the electrical properties of biological nanoparticles (proteins, viruses, exosomes, etc.) by monitoring their response when stimulated by an electric field. This method also provides biologists with a new high-throughput tool of characterizing and concentrating molecules without chemically altering them. A student team of graduate and undergraduate students will design and build the system using microfabrication techniques while also undergoing entrepreneurial training through programs offered by the University of Louisville. In addition, high school students will contribute towards the project and will be recruited through the University of Louisville’s Signature Partnership with West Louisville Schools.The goal of this research project is to develop a specialized microfluidic platform to gain fundamental insight into the field-induced response of biological nanoparticles. The platform will enable the electrical characterization of nanoparticles and its measurements will aid in the affirmation of emerging theories about the electrokinetics of proteins and other molecules. Further, findings will enable the development advanced schemes to manipulate nanoscale biomaterials resulting in much faster and/or greater concentration of target species relative to current methods that are otherwise limited by diffusion-based transport.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.