Integrated Optical Particle Trap for Biomolecule Analysis and Manipulation

描述（申请人提供）：小型化是生物分析仪器发展的趋势。将传感、检测和操作功能集成在一个小空间内，有望产生新一代廉价、便携和高度敏感的设备，可以以许多可能具有破坏性的方式造福公共卫生，例如家庭和医疗实践中的护理点设备，或作为不发达国家流行传染病的坚固型探测器。因此，我们研究的长期目标是开发新一代光流体仪器，其中微流体和光学元件集成在单个芯片的平面上，从而允许更小，更便宜，更坚固的仪器。此外，这些仪器应该在单粒子水平上具有很高的灵敏度。在此应用中，提出了用于全光操作芯片上粒子的集成光学粒子陷阱的开发和表征。利用光镊捕获和操纵生物粒子已经大大增加了我们对细胞和分子的理解。将这些能力转化为使用集成光学代替高端显微镜的芯片，将使其能够应用于疾病检测和其他公共卫生问题。本研究主要有两个目标：目标1：介绍并表征一种新型的集成光学粒子阱。基于集成波导固有特性的捕获原理将在液芯ARROW波导中实现，作为模型光流体平台。利用无机微球作为测试粒子，将表征陷阱的相关性质，如陷阱强度和利用其集成性质的独特特征。这些研究将辅以分析和数值模拟。目标2：将展示使用光学粒子控制的芯片上的新生物分析能力。功能能力包括颗粒浓度，单颗粒荧光，光学控制颗粒结合和微环境中的反应，将使用具有代表性的生物颗粒，包括脂质体，大肠杆菌和DNA分子。这将通过将新的陷阱特性与现有的波导设计和制造技术以及灵敏的光学检测技术相结合来实现。在这个项目结束时，使用集成波导的全光粒子控制将被牢固地确立为光流体学的新工具，并向下一代芯片上的生物分析迈出了重要的一步。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Miniaturization is a growing trend for bioanalytical instruments. Integration of sensing, detection, and manipulation functionalities in a small space promises a new generation of inexpensive, portable and highly sensitive equipment that can benefit public health in many, possibly disruptive ways such as point-of-care devices in homes and medical practices or as rugged detectors for prevalent infectious diseases in underdeveloped countries. The long-term goals of our research are, therefore, to develop a new generation of optofluidic instruments in which both microfluidic and optical components are integrated in the plane of a single chip, thus allowing for smaller, less expensive, and more robust instruments. In addition, these instruments should possess exquisite sensitivity on the single-particle level. In this application, the development and characterization of integrated optical particle traps for all-optical manipulation of particles on a chip is proposed. Trapping and manipulation of bioparticles with light using optical tweezers has already led to a dramatic increase in our understanding of cells and molecules. The translation of these capabilities to a chip using integrated optics in lieu of high-end microscopes will enable their application to disease detection and other public health issues. The proposed research has two specific aims: Aim 1: A new type of integrated optical particle trap will be introduced and characterized. A trapping principle based on intrinsic properties of integrated waveguides will be implemented in liquid-core ARROW waveguides as the model optofluidic platform. The relevant trap properties such as trap strength and unique features that take advantage of its integrated nature will be characterized using inorganic microspheres as test particles. These studies will be complemented by analytical and numeric modeling. Aim 2: New bio-analytical capabilities on a chip using optical particle control will be demonstrated. Functional capabilities including particle concentration, single particle fluorescence, optically controlled particle binding and reactions in microenvironments will be demonstrated using representative biological particles including liposomes, E.coli bacteria, and DNA molecules. This will be achieved through the combination of the new trap properties with established techniques for waveguide design and fabrication, and sensitive optical detection. At the end of this project, all-optical particle control using integrated waveguides will have been firmly established as a new tool in optofluidics and major step towards next generation bio- analysis on a chip.