Programmable micro/nano-fluidic based platform for high-throughput and large scale single-molecule analysis

该研究计划的愿景是设计基于微/纳米流体的精辟技术，以促进我们在单一生物分子功能中达到和探索罕见事件的能力。单分子分析是一种强大的方法，它允许前所未有的生物医学信息的新细节，这是不可能使用传统的平均技术。它有助于我们理解复杂的生物过程（例如癌症等疾病），其中有必要在单分子水平上识别从单细胞中提取的蛋白质，DNA，RNA的功能特征。一个可编程的，高效的，一次性的，微型的“智能”系统可以显着提高生物分析在我们的兴趣点访问。高效的样品操作、隔离、吞吐量、可配置性和大规模分析能力是这种智能小型化实验室芯片系统的关键。该研究计划将首次通过协同结合3D制造的样品操纵器与基于可编程液滴的微流体技术来创新“智能”微/纳米流体技术。基于3D特征的样品操纵器可以增强捕获、分离和移位单个生物分子的能力。此外，可编程微流体允许通过实时传感和控制集成片上决策能力。从工程和基础科学的角度来看，该研究将解决一些基本问题，包括：玻璃上的3D微/纳米制造，通过微/纳米尺寸的3D几何形状运输生物分子，分子在不同纳米限制下的机械行为，以及使用纳米电润湿的生物分子运输和控制。

The vision of this research program is to engineer micro/nano-fluidic based incisive technologies that would facilitate our ability to reach and explore rare events in single biomolecular functionalities. Single molecule analysis is a powerful approach that allows unprecedented new details of biomedical information, which are not possible using conventional averaging techniques. It facilities in our understanding of complex biological process (for example diseases like Cancer), where it is necessary to identify the functional characteristics of protein, DNA, RNA at single molecule level extracted from a single cell. A programmable, efficient, disposable, and miniature "smart" system can dramatically improve biological analysis accessible at our point-of-interest. Efficient sample manipulation, isolation, through-put, configurability and large-scale analysis capability are the key for such smart miniaturized lab-chip system. This research program would for the first time innovate "smart" micro/nano-fluidic technologies via synergistically combining 3D fabricated sample manipulator with programmable droplet based microfluidics. 3D feature based sample manipulator can enhance the ability to capture, isolate and translocate single biomolecules. Additionally, programmable microfluidics allows integrating on-chip decision-making capability via real-time sensing and controls. From the engineering and basic science point of view, the research will address a number of fundamental questions including: 3D micro/nano fabrication on glass, transport of bio-molecules through micro/nanometer-size 3D geometries, mechanical behavior of molecules at varying nano-confinement, and biomolecules transport and controls using nano-electrowetting.