NER: Directed Microelectronic Interfacing with Living Cells via Nanocrystal Quantum Dots

0303442 Schmidt该提案是响应纳米科学与工程倡议，NSF 02-148，类别NER而收到的。该提案的目标是开发和表征一种探索系统，该系统集成了微电子器件技术和半导体量子点，通过细胞表面的特定受体与活神经元连接。这些纳米尺度的装置可用于治疗基于受体和神经递质的疾病（例如，帕金森氏症），以及生产全新类型的生物电子设备（例如，神经记忆电路）。半导体量子点（qdot）的直径通常在2和10 nm之间，并且当表面钝化时，它们可以分散在各种溶剂中，包括水性环境。这些电子材料由于尺寸小而具有独特的光学和电学性质。当激发时，它们显示增加的偶极矩，电子转移，和热相互作用，与散装材料相比。量子点可以用各种分子识别分子（例如，肽和抗体）和它们的高荧光量子产率（亮度）促进了Qdot-细胞受体附着的研究。量子点细胞装置将作为第一代受体规模的假体。随后的设备将被设计为与特定的离子通道相互作用。在未来，基于受体的设备可以为单个离子通道提供局部治疗，使它们增加或减少生产力，从而为基于受体的疾病提供另一种治疗选择。

0303442SchmidtThis proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 02-148, category NER. The objectives of this proposal are to develop and characterize an exploratory system integrating microelectronic device technology and semiconductor quantum dots interfaced with living neurons via specific receptors on the cell surface. These nanometer-scale devices could be used to treat receptor and neurotransmitter based diseases (e.g., Parkinson's), as well as to produce entirely new kinds of bio-electronic devices (e.g., neural memory circuits). Semiconductor quantum dots (qdots) typically range between 2 and 10 nm in diameter and when surface-passivated, they can be dispersed in a variety of solvents, including aqueous environments. These electronic materials possess unique optical and electrical properties due to their small size. When excited, they display increased dipole moments, electron transfer, and thermal interactions, as compared to bulk materials. The qdots can be surface-functionalized with various molecular recognition molecules (e.g., peptides and antibodies) and their high fluorescence quantum yield (brightness) facilitates the investigation of qdot-cell receptor attachment. The qdot-cell device will serve as a first generation receptor-scale prosthetic. Subsequent devices will be designed to interact with specific ion channels. In the future, receptor-based devices could provide local treatment to individual ion channels causing them to increase or decrease productivity, thus providing another treatment option for receptor-based diseases.