EMT: MISC: Expanding the Computing Domain with Self-assembled Nanophotonics

20世纪70年代后期高密度集成电路（IC）技术的发展已经成为今天的基本推动力。的计算和通信基础设施。尽管硅集成电路有许多优点，但要在分子尺度上充分利用其在生物科学中的应用，即使不是不可能，也是困难的。挑战来自于对环境兼容性和单分子传感的需求。因此，到目前为止，硅集成电路已被限制在计算域在宏观尺度上，很少有例外。不幸的是，这阻碍了生物科学家充分利用计算来改进和加速他们的日常实验。提出的愿景是通过开发一种与细胞兼容并在水溶液中起作用的融合传感器-计算节点来扩展计算领域。这代表了最近NSF纳米电子学研讨会确定的两个领域的进展，这些领域对EMT计划的发展非常重要：基于DNA的电子学（EMT：BSSE）和纳米架构（EMT：NANO）[1]。为了应对这一新领域的挑战，该提案探讨了DNA纳米结构上的共振能量转移（RET）逻辑，作为生物相容的融合传感器-计算节点的技术。这项建议的主要研究内容是在DNA网格上制作和表征简单的RET电路和传感模式。拟议的研究是高度跨学科的，需要理论研究（即，电路和结构设计和评估）与实验研究同时发生（即，制造和表征）。PI先前在DNA纳米结构、纳米器件、电路和架构方面的合作研究表明，成功执行本提案中概述的研究所需的专业知识。这些研究活动将涉及本科生通过独立研究和暑期研究职位的发展角色。注意力将集中在吸引来自代表性不足群体的学生。最近，一个非裔美国本科生参与了PI？其他项目通过一个NSF-REU计划共同运行的ESTA和杜克。即将毕业的博士。材料科学的学生与CS理学士是通过这个相同的程序招募，并与持续的支持将采取在博士后的位置上工作的DNA自组装和电化学在杜克。目前，有三名本科生在研究项目小组工作。这项提案将通过与玛莎·阿布舍女士在杜克开展的全国公认的外展计划合作，扩大这些努力。在分子尺度上传感和计算的集成扩展了计算领域，并使扩散限制计算的新范式成为可能。这种新的范例具有广泛的潜在应用，从查询细胞的状态到加速生物标志物测定的进展。这代表了一种将计算应用于生物科学中常见问题的全新方式。

The development of high density, integrated circuit (IC) technology in the late 1970s has been a fundamental enabler for today?s computation and communication infrastructure. Despite their many advantages, silicon ICs are difficult, if not impossible, to fully utilize at the molecular scale for applications in biological science. The challenge arises from the need for environmental compatibility and single molecule sensing. Therefore, to date, silicon ICs have been limited to computational domains at the macro scale with few exceptions. Unfortunately, this prevents biological scientists from fully leveraging computing as a way to improve and accelerate their daily experiments.Intellectual Merit? The proposed vision is to expand the computing domain by developing a fused sensor-compute node that is compatible with cells and is functional in aqueous fluids. This represents progress in two areas identified by the recent NSF Workshop on Nanoelectronics as important for the development of the EMT program: DNA-Based Electronics (EMT: BSSE) and Nanoarchitecture (EMT: NANO)[1]. To meet the challenges of this new domain this proposal explores resonance energy transfer (RET) logic on DNA nanostructures as a technology for biologically compatible fused sensor-compute nodes. The primary research component of this proposal is the fabrication and characterization of simple RET circuits and sensing modes on DNA grids.The proposed research is highly interdisciplinary and requires that theoretical research (i.e., circuit and architecture design and evaluation) occur simultaneously with experimental research (i.e., fabrication and characterization). The previous collaborative research by the PIs on DNA nanostructures, nanoscale devices, circuits and architectures demonstrates the expertise necessary to successfully perform the research outlined in this proposal.Broader Impacts? These research activities will involve undergraduate students in development roles through independent studies and summer research positions. Attention will be focused on engaging students from underrepresented groups. Recently, an African-American undergraduate student was involved with the PIs? other projects through an NSF-REU program run jointly by UNC and Duke. A graduating Ph.D. materials science student with a CS BSc was recruited through this same program and with continued support will take on a postdoctoral position working on DNA self-assembly and electrochemistry at Duke. Currently, three undergraduates are working in the group on research projects. This proposal will expand these efforts by working with the nationally recognized outreach programs at Duke run by Ms. Martha Absher.Potential for Transformative Change? The integration of sensing and computation at the molecular scale expands the computing domain and enables the new paradigm of diffusion limited computation. This new paradigm has a wide variety of potential applications from querying the status of a cell to accelerating the progress of biomarker assays. This represents a fundamentally new way to apply computing to common problems in the biological sciences.