IRES: US-Turkey-Switzerland Collaboration on Resonant Structures for Biosensing and Imaging

该奖项支持波士顿大学（BU）的一个科学家团队在一个项目中为学生提供国际研究经验，该团队由PI，电气和计算机工程系Selim Unlu博士领导，与土耳其伊斯坦布尔Koc大学电气工程系Irsadi Aksun博士和瑞士联邦理工学院电气工程系Yusuf Leblebici博士合作。研究重点是光学共振在生物传感和成像中的应用。一般的方法是基于利用共振来显著增加存储的光能密度，从而增强与固体表面上的生物标本的相互作用。他们将专注于三个基于共振增强生物传感和成像的具体项目。环形谐振器已经在系统中证明了Q~107或更高，其中光波的精确数量适合“耳语廊”模式，从而导致高灵敏度紧凑平台的开发。在平行法布里-珀罗腔中传输的波长调谐光谱允许同时对数千个独立特征（或结合事件）进行敏感的无标签传感。荧光发射的光谱干涉（或共振）允许在反射表面上确定亚纳米的位置。目标是在生物应用中制造超灵敏和超小型设备，这将建立在波士顿大学在光子学、生物医学工程、物理学和计算方面的跨学科优势之上。波士顿大学的研究团队在光学设计、仪器和表征以及生物技术方面拥有专业知识。这些项目将受益于国际合作伙伴在以下方面的专业知识：(1)详细的物理建模（伊斯坦布尔Koc大学的Aksun教授），(2)器件和晶圆制造（安卡拉Bilkent大学的Ozbay教授和洛桑EPFL的Ionescu教授）和(3)定制模拟/数字电路设计（洛桑EPFL的Leblebici教授）以及实验室和免费基础设施的组合。每年将支持五名博士生在项目期间获得国际经验，每位博士生预计将在海外度过三个月。该项目的成功将意味着可持续的组织结构，无论是在这里还是与国际合作伙伴一起，激励新一代科学家将全球研究和教育灌输到他们对科学探究的基本哲学方法中。知识优势：拟议的IRES项目将结合土耳其和瑞士机构的专业知识以及波士顿大学的科学家，解决生物传感和成像共振光学结构中的难题。pi将把大批研究生干部的智力培养成新一代的科学家，他们的核心理念包括全球科技互动。更广泛的影响：广泛的影响将是其长期关注发展可持续的模式和基础设施，以促进研究和教育方面的国际合作。我们在生物传感器和生物成像研究方面的预期科学产出将对从DNA构象的基础研究到DNA和蛋白质微阵列以及生物毒素检测的各种科学学科产生重大影响。这些科学成果中有许多具有重要的社会意义。最后，该计划将产生更广泛的影响，重点关注未被充分代表的少数民族和妇女的招聘和保留，并通过GK-12项目将具有全球视野的学生与工程领域的女性和服务不足的当地学校的教师联系起来。

0601631UnluThis award supports international research experience for students in a project by a team of scientists from Boston University (BU) led by the PI, Dr. Selim Unlu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in collaboration with Dr. Irsadi Aksun, Electrical Engineering Department, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey and Dr. Yusuf Leblebici, Electrical Engineering Department, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The research focus is on applications of optical resonance to biosensing and imaging. The general approach is based on utilizing resonance to dramatically increase the stored optical energy density and thus enhance the interaction with the biological specimens bound on solid surfaces. They will focus on three specific projects based on resonance enhancement in biosensing and imaging. Ring resonators have demonstrated Q~107 and higher in systems where the precise number of optical waves fit around in a 'whispering gallery' mode leading to development of highly sensitive compact platforms. Wavelength tuning spectroscopy of transmission in parallel Fabry-Perot cavities allows for sensitive label-free sensing of many thousands of independent features (or binding events) simultaneously. Spectral interference (or resonance) of fluorescent emission allow for sub-nm determination of position over a reflective surface. The goal to make ultra-sensitive and ultra-small devices in biological applications will build upon established interdisciplinary strengths at BU in photonics, biomedical engineering, physics, and computation. The BU research team has expertise in optical design, instrumentation and characterization as well as biotechnology. The projects will benefit from the expertise of the international partners in (1) detailed physical modeling (Prof. Aksun at Koc University, Istanbul), (2) device and wafer fabrication (Prof. Ozbay at Bilkent U. in Ankara and Prof. Ionescu at EPFL, Lausanne) and (3) custom analog/digital circuit design (Prof. Leblebici at EPFL, Lausanne) as well as a combination of laboratories and complimentary infrastructure. Five PhD students will be supported per year acquiring international experience during the course of the project where each student is expected to spend 3 months overseas. Success in the project will mean sustainable organizational structure both here and with the international partners to inspire a new generation of scientists to instill global research and education into their basic philosophical approach to scientific inquiry. Intellectual merit: Proposed IRES program will combine expertise from Turkish and Swiss institutions together with scientists from Boston University to solve difficult problems in resonant optical structures for biological sensing and imaging. The PIs will develop the intellect of a large cadre of graduate students into a new breed of scientists whose core philosophy includes global scientific and technological interactions. Broader impact: The broad impact of will be in its long-term focus on developing a sustainable model and infrastructure for international collaborations in research and education. The expected scientific output of our research in biosensors and biological imaging will have significant impact in a variety of scientific disciplines from basic research on DNA conformation to DNA and protein micro-arrays and to bio-toxin detection. Many of these scientific outcomes have significant societal implications. Finally, the program will have broader impact through focused attention on recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities and women and in connecting students with a global perspective with outreach programs for women in engineering and teachers in underserved local schools through GK-12 projects.