A low-cost, compact spectral imaging microsystem for rapid, regenerative and highly selective nucleic acid detection

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The need for low-cost and compact point-of-care biochemical detection instruments has become increasingly pronounced in the medical, forensic, and agricultural sectors. Technologies that enable such detection are in demand and have started to become prominent. As an example of a nucleic acid detection device, the ubiquitous microarrays are manufactured by assembling thousands to millions of spots onto a common substrate, each comprised of unique single-stranded DNA/RNA probe sequences. Despite many advantages of the microarrays there are drawbacks. They have high manufacturing cost, low reusability, and the equipment associated with the preparation and analysis of samples are numerous and bulky. These drawbacks represent vast opportunities for biosensors - devices that immobilize probe material directly to a transduction element that translates the bio-recognition event into a measurable analytical signal. This proposal represents an innovative leap forward to develop a portable biosensor technology that combines new work in multi-colour quantum dots as wavelength-multiplexed nanoscale biosensors for fluorescence detection of non-labeled nucleic acid targets, spectrum-sensitive CMOS imager microchip design, and use of custom microfluidic networks. The proposed research will yield rapid, reusable and highly selective nucleic acid detection technologies to enable manufacturing low-cost and compact point-of-care biochemical detection instruments. As a result, a previously unmatched scope of health care coverage can be achieved, leading to longer and healthier lives of Canadians.