Studies of Small-Scale Sensors

该项目由分析和表面化学项目支持，重点开发先进的溶胶-凝胶材料，用于构建微米尺寸的分析生物传感器和生物传感器阵列。生物识别分子将被放置在这些溶胶-凝胶基质中，并对其选择性和反应性进行表征。在这项工作中构建的生物传感器设备将应用于复杂矩阵的同时多组分分析。在这项工作中，布莱特教授将利用广泛的现代分析技术，包括扫描电子显微镜、汞孔隙度法、光学显微镜、轮廓术、静态和时间分辨荧光和拉曼光谱。该项目的目标是开发小型，可靠，廉价的生物传感器，可用于临床重要分析物的定量。这些装置将使用生物分子作为活性元素，因为它们的反应具有选择性和敏感性。生物分子将被保存在溶胶-凝胶基质中，在那里它们将在传感器内保持其反应性。布莱特教授还将利用溶胶-凝胶材料可以在非常小的尺寸上制造，从而可以在微观体积上进行分析。布莱特教授和他的学生所做的工作可能会为重要的临床分析带来新的和改进的方法。

This project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, focusses on the development of advanced sol-gel materials to be used in the construction of micron dimension analytical biosensors and biosensor arrays. Biorecognition molecules will be placed in these sol-gel matrices and their selectivity and reactivity will be characterized. The biosensor devices that are constructed during this work will be applied to simultaneous multicomponent analyses in complex matrices. In this work Professor Bright will utilize a broad range of modern analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy, mercury porsimetry, optical microscopy, profilometry, and static and time-resolved fluorescence and Raman spectroscopies. The goal of this project is to develop small, reliable, and inexpensive biosensors that can be used in the quantification of clinically important analytes. These devices will employ biological molecules as active elements because their reactions are selective and sensitive. The biological molecules will be held in sol-gel matrices where they will retain their reactivity within the sensor. Professor Bright will also take advantage of the fact that sol-gel materials can be fabricated in very small dimensions thereby enabling analyses in microscopic volumes. The work to be done by Professor Bright and his students could lead to new and improved methods for doing important clinical analyses.