Enabling the Design of Advanced Hybrid Bio-Nanonetworks

实现先进混合生物纳米网络的设计

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-06874
• 负责人: Makrakis, Dimitrios
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=682317
• 关键词: Enabling; Design; Advanced; Hybrid; Bio

Our research in nanotechnology (nanotech) deals with the communication and network formation needs of nanodevices. While new, the technology is critical to the development of intelligent nanotech and will impact several areas, e.g. in-vivo diagnostics, non-invasive nanosurgery, pharmaceutics, treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's) and mental disorders (e.g. Schizophrenia, ASD, ADHD), network-on-chip design and fabrication methods. The technology has evolved along two directions: (i) Dry nanotech: nanodevices are manufactured with inorganic materials, e.g. silicon, graphene. (ii) Wet nanotech: it uses organic materials & nanomachines, e.g. biological cells, proteins, enzymes, bacteria, viruses, DNA and RNA macromolecules, ion particles, etc. Each has its advantages & disadvantages. Several applications would require nanomachines from both categories, e.g. in-vivo monitoring of bio-chemical substances for diagnosis, delivery of smart drugs. There will also be need to manufacture nanomachines consisting of both types; hybrid nanomachines. In case of co-existence, it is important to understand how one type will affect the other. Use of THz Wave (THzW) frequencies (0.1 THz to 10 THz) is considered in intra-body communications. They are non-ionizing, thus should not cause DNA modifications. Also their communication components, e.g. antennas, modulators, can be of nanoscale size. However, there is no thorough study assessing the impact, in-vivo THzW transmissions have, on molecular communications (MC). Diffusion MC (DMC) are sensitive to the entropy level molecules of the medium have. THzW transmissions increase the vibration level of molecules, which, as our initial work confirmed, impacts negatively DMC. In this project, we will establish thorough understanding of this behaviour and develop accurate models of the diffusion channel. Develop design guidelines for hybrid nanomachines, e.g. combined biosensor-THzW transmitter. Develop new MC systems and protocols that perform well in this environment, and propose how we can use the medium's observed behaviour constructively to improve applications (e.g. target drug delivery). The second part of our work deals with Optogenetics (OGN). An emerging fields in neuroscience, OGN modifies otherwise insensitive to light neurons by genetically implanting specialized light-sensitive transmembrane proteins (opsins). There are proposals to use OGN for treatment of brain related disorders. Our OGN related work in this project will develop tools to determine the best way to stimulate an OGN neuron to generate firing sequence as close as possible to a target firing sequence. Develop OGN nanomachines that will enable inter-neural stimulation (replacing neurotransmitter-based stimulation); develop architectures and protocols to effectively move neuronal spike trains through all-OGN nanoneuronal networks.

我们在纳米技术（纳米技术）方面的研究涉及纳米设备的通信和网络形成需求。虽然这项技术是新技术，但它对于智能纳米技术的发展至关重要，并将影响多个领域，例如。体内诊断、非侵入性纳米外科、药剂学、神经退行性疾病（例如阿尔茨海默氏症、帕金森氏症）和精神障碍（例如精神分裂症、自闭症谱系障碍、多动症）的治疗、片上网络设计和制造方法。该技术沿着两个方向发展：（i）干纳米技术：纳米器件是用无机材料制造的，例如纳米材料。硅、石墨烯。 (ii) 湿纳米技术：它使用有机材料和纳米机器，例如生物细胞、蛋白质、酶、细菌、病毒、DNA和RNA大分子、离子粒子等，各有其优缺点。有一些应用需要这两个类别的纳米机器，例如体内生化物质监测，用于诊断、智能药物的输送。还需要制造由这两种类型组成的纳米机器；混合纳米机器。在共存的情况下，了解一种类型将如何影响另一种类型非常重要。 在体内通信中考虑使用太赫兹波 (THzW) 频率（0.1 THz 至 10 THz）。它们是非电离的，因此不会引起 DNA 修饰。还有他们的通信组件，例如天线、调制器可以是纳米级尺寸的。然而，目前还没有全面的研究评估体内太赫兹波传输对分子通信 (MC) 的影响。扩散MC（DMC）对介质分子的熵水平敏感。 THzW 传输会增加分子的振动水平，正如我们的初步工作所证实的那样，这会对 DMC 产生负面影响。在这个项目中，我们将深入了解这种行为并开发准确的扩散通道模型。制定混合纳米机器的设计指南，例如组合生物传感器-THzW 发射器。开发在这种环境中表现良好的新 MC 系统和协议，并提出我们如何建设性地利用介质观察到的行为来改进应用（例如靶向药物输送）。 我们工作的第二部分涉及光遗传学（OGN）。 OGN 是神经科学的一个新兴领域，它通过基因植入专门的光敏跨膜蛋白（视蛋白）来改变对光不敏感的神经元。有人建议使用 OGN 治疗大脑相关疾病。我们在该项目中的 OGN 相关工作将开发工具来确定刺激 OGN 神经元生成尽可能接近目标放电序列的放电序列的最佳方式。开发 OGN 纳米机器，实现神经间刺激（取代基于神经递质的刺激）；开发架构和协议，以通过全 OGN 纳米神经网络有效地移动神经元尖峰序列。