Regulating Current Through a Nanoparticle Necklace by Microorganism: A Transformative Technology for Biofuel Cells and Biosensors

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。通过单个电子给纳米颗粒充电可以显著地调节通过颗粒的电流。该研究的目标是利用这种单电子现象来设计和研究电子混合生物纳米器件，其中活微生物中的生物化学过程对纳米颗粒充电（或放电）以通过颗粒打开/关闭电流，即，生物门控生物纳米器件将是一个10 nm大小的金颗粒的二维网络，其表现为与微生物连接的单电子器件。生物门控将通过用营养物刺激微生物来调节通过项链网络的电流来实现。为了影响实际应用和可制造性，将解决与传统微电子电路集成的问题。所提出的集成到电子电路的生物纳米器件将代表具有广泛应用的混合生物纳米器件的范例，例如高度特异性的传感器，其中细胞检测部分并且具有翻转纳米器件的ON/OFF开关以产生数字信号的灵敏度;或者混合生物纳米装置可以用作能量转换系统，以在细胞暴露于营养物时产生电力。该项目将在传感器、纳米技术和生物物理学领域培训一名研究生。该设备的演示将是一个名为？光明？然后呢？红色夏令营？由林肯公立学校和内布拉斯加大学管理林肯向初中和高中学生介绍科学和工程。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Charging a nanoparticle by a single electron can significantly modulate the passage of current through the particle. The goal of the study is to leverage this single electron phenomena to design and study an electronic hybrid bio-nano device where the biochemical process in a living microorganism charges (or discharges) the nanoparticle(s) to turn the current ON/OFF through the particle(s), i.e., bio-gating. The bio-nano device will be a two dimensional network of 10 nm size Gold particles that behaves as a single-electron-device interfaced with microorganisms. The bio-gating will be accomplished by modulating the current through the network of necklace by stimulating the microorganism with nutrient. To impact practical applications and manufacturability, issues on integration with conventional microelectronic circuitry will be addressed. The proposed bio-nano device integrated to electronic circuit will represent a paradigm of hybrid bio-nano devices with a broad range of applications, such as a highly specific sensor where the cell detects the moiety and has the sensitivity to flip the ON/OFF switch of the nanodevice to produce a digital signal; or the hybrid bio-nano device could function as an energy conversion system to produce electricity as the cell is exposed to nutrients. The project will train a graduate student in the area of sensors, nanotechnology and biophysics. Demonstration of the device will be part of an out reach program called ?Bright Lights? and ?Big Red Summer Camp? administered by Lincoln Public School and University of Nebraska ? Lincoln to introduce middle and high school students to science and engineering.