SENSORS: Direct Electronic Sensing for Real-time Biological Detection

这项研究旨在开发具有两种独特元素的新一代生物传感器。首先，传感器的基础是使用直接电阻抗测量作为信号转导的基础，提供直接的电子生物接口，并有可能实时、连续地监测生物分子，包括各种病原体。其次，传感器基于使用碳基材料，包括钻石和类钻石碳作为超稳定载体，为生物分子提供强大的化学和电子接口。研究人员将进行实验，旨在开发碳基材料(包括玻璃碳、薄膜钻石和各种类金刚石薄膜材料)的优化生物修饰，并随后将生物修饰表面用作直接电子传感的基础。这项研究将产生广泛的影响，导致能够连续实时检测和识别各种生物病原体的自主传感系统。这些传感器的开发可能导致完整的低功耗、电池供电的传感系统，这些系统可以廉价和广泛地分布，以极大地提高针对危险生物制剂的安全性。许多拟议的研究还将通过改进对各种生物病原体的持续监测方法，在食品安全等领域具有广泛的商业适用性。拟议的研究还将在几个方面有效地将研究与教育联系起来。首席调查员积极参与了将该大学与K-12教育联系起来的一些外联活动。此外，通过这项计划培训的研究生将接触到一个不寻常的跨学科领域。

0330257HamersThis research is aimed at developing a new generation of biological sensors with two unique elements. First, the sensors are based upon the use of direct electrical impedance measurements as the basis for signal transduction, providing a direct electronic bio-interface and the possibility of real-time, continuous monitoring of biological molecules, including a wide variety of pathogens. Secondly, the sensors are based upon the use of carbon-based materials, including diamond and diamond-like carbon, as ultra-stable supports, to provide a robust chemical and electronic interface to biological molecules. The researchers will conduct experiments aimed at developing optimized biological modification of the carbon-based materials (including glassy carbon, thin-film diamond, and a variety of thin-film diamond-like carbon materials) and the subsequent use of the biologically-modified surfaces as the basis for direct electronic sensing. This research will have broad impact by leading to autonomous sensing systems that are able to detect and identify a variety of biological pathogens in real time on a continuous basis. The development of these sensors could lead to complete low-power, battery-operated sensing systems that could be inexpensively and widely distributed to provide greatly increased security against hazardous biological agents. Much of the proposed research would also have broad commercial applicability in areas such as food safety, by enabling improved methods for continuous monitoring of a wide variety of biological pathogens. The proposed research will also effectively link research with education in several ways. The principal investigator is actively involved in a number of outreach activities linking the university to K-12 education. Additionally, graduate students trained through this proposal will be exposed to an unusually interdisciplinary field.