Low-cost field-deployable DNA Microarrays using organic transistors

智力优势：这项研究的目标是开发一种低成本、一次性的电子可读DNA传感器，用于现场部署的流行病学和疾病筛查。该方法是利用有机薄膜晶体管作为有源传感元件，开发一种新型的DNA杂交传感器结构。初步结果表明，DNA分子可以通过物理吸附直接固定在底栅有机晶体管暴露的沟道上，并可用于与集成微流控技术相结合的DNA微阵列。研究发现，固定的DNA分子会掺杂有机半导体，导致阈值电压漂移。重要的是，单链和双链DNA在由此产生的VT漂移中显示出显著的差异，从而使杂交能够直接进行电子检测。通过将这些传感器与集成的聚合物微流体相结合，研究人员将开发一种低成本、可现场部署的DNA微阵列技术。广泛影响：这一提议具有重要的技术意义，因为它将有助于开发一种适用于低成本、直接在现场进行DNA测序的一次性、电子读取、现场可部署的疾病筛查工具。这在追踪世界贫困地区疾病的流行病学研究中将是非常宝贵的。这项提案的更广泛影响包括指导本科生进行研究，向高中生提供帮助，以帮助他们留住科学和工程专业，并通过在黑人历史悠久的学院和大学开展招生活动，向代表不足的少数群体提供帮助，目的是吸引少数族裔学生投身工程研究。

Intellectual Merits:The objective of this research is the development of a low-cost, disposable electrically-readable DNA sensor for use in field-deployed epidemiology and disease screening. The approach is the development of a novel DNA hybridization sensor architecture using the organic thin film transistors as the active sensing element. Initial results indicate that DNA molecules may be directly immobilized by physical adsorption on the exposed channels of bottom-gated organic transistors and may be used to implement a DNA microarray in conjunction with integrated microfluidics. The immobilized DNA molecules have been found to dope organic semiconductors, causing a threshold voltage shift. Importantly, single- and double-strand DNA show substantial difference in the resultant VT shift, enabling the direct electrical detection of hybridization. By combining these sensors with integrated polymer microfluidics, the investigators will develop a low-cost, field-deployable DNA microarray technology.Broader Impacts:This proposal is technically important since it will contribute to the development of a disposable, electrically-read, field-deployable disease-screening tool suitable for DNA sequencing at low-cost, directly performed in the field. This will be invaluable in epidemiological studies for tracing disease in poverty-afflicted parts of the world. Broader impacts of this proposal include mentorship of undergraduates in research, outreach to high-school students to facilitate their retention in science and engineering, and outreach to underrepresented minority groups through recruiting activities at historically black colleges and universities, with the goal of attracting underrepresented minority students into engineering research.