QuSeC-TAQS: Quantum Sensing Platform for Biomolecular Analytics

本研究项目旨在开发用于生物分子分析的量子传感平台。如果成功，这项工作将为研制能够检测不同蛋白质结合事件的量子生物传感器铺平道路。这种新的量子传感技术将为新一代生物医学设备奠定基础，该设备能够监测血液中数千种蛋白质的浓度，从而在疾病临床表现之前发现疾病。这一研究计划的趋同方面将进一步培养下一代量子科学家和工程师，他们能够超越目前的界限，将量子技术带入生命科学。钻石中的氮空位(NV)中心已经成为一种强大的技术，其灵敏度足以检测单个生物分子的EPR谱。通过将基于NV的量子传感器与DNA适体蛋白质结合分析相结合，该项目探索了一个新的强大的生物分析平台，可以从光谱上区分不同的蛋白质结合事件。该项目涉及构成这种量子生物分析设备基础的以下四个关键科学挑战：(1)设计DNA-适配子-量子传感器接口，(2)了解和控制生物接口固有的噪声，(3)将钻石光子学集成到生物传感器中，以及(4)从工程上将生物事件转换为量子可探测的信号。因此，这项工作将展示一种量子生物分析设备的基本原理，该设备能够将完整的蛋白质与相干的量子传感器接口，并能够以较低的假阳性率区分特定的单蛋白质结合事件。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research project aims at the development of a quantum sensing platform for biomolecular analytics. If successful, this work will pave the way to a quantum-enabled biosensor that can detect different protein binding events. Such a novel quantum sensing technology will form the basis for a new generation of biomedical devices capable of monitoring the concentration of thousands of proteins in blood and, thereby, detect diseases before their clinical manifestation. The convergent aspect of this research program will furthermore train a next generation of quantum scientists and engineers that are able to venture beyond the current boundaries and bring quantum technology into the life sciences. Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have emerged as a powerful technology sensitive enough to detect the EPR spectrum of individual biomolecules. By combining NV-based quantum sensors with DNA-aptamer protein binding assays, this project explores a new robust bio-analytics platform that can spectroscopically differentiate between different protein binding events. The project pursues the following four key scientific challenges that will form the basis for such a quantum-enabled bio-analytical device: (i) engineering of a DNA-aptamer – quantum sensor interface, (ii) understanding and controlling noise inherent to biological interfaces, (iii) integrating diamond photonics in biosensors, and (iv) engineering transduction of biological events to quantum-detectable signals. As a result, this work will demonstrate the fundamentals of a quantum-enabled bioanalytical device that is capable of interfacing intact proteins with a coherent quantum sensor and that is able to distinguish specific single-protein binding events with a low false-positive rate.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.