SNM: Electronically Controlled Surface Assembly of DNA Nanostructures

这个可扩展纳米制造（SNM）项目的目标是开发一种可扩展和廉价的工艺，用于制造DNA构建的纳米器件和超材料的集成系统。结构DNA纳米技术的独特之处在于，它能够将碳纳米管、蛋白质、量子点和金属纳米颗粒等纳米材料排列成任意种类的合理设计的纳米级几何形状。一些这样的结构已经被证明有潜力作为传感器、晶体管、光学元件、纳米机械操纵器和基础科学的实验平台。由于DNA纳米结构是自组装的，原则上可以低成本地生产大量未来的纳米器件，用于广泛的技术应用。关键的挑战是将这些设备以与大规模生产兼容的方式集成到功能系统中。目前，还没有可行的技术愿景来做到这一点，关于问题和挑战的相关知识非常有限，研究人员在解决这些问题方面的努力也很有限。我们的目标是通过结合开发更多功能的DNA纳米结构和探索电子监测和控制DNA纳米结构阵列组装的全新概念来纠正这种情况。另一个目标是从质量上提高我们将DNA纳米结构与功能纳米级材料结合的能力，并提供强大的新方法来监测和指导基于DNA的自组装。这个项目是基于DNA纳米结构，将经历表面启动自组装成更大的2D和3D阵列。长期愿景是建立一个台式工厂，在那里，碳纳米管和蛋白质等功能纳米材料在DNA的帮助下组装成按照宏观系统布局排列的高质量纳米结构。装配将进行电子和光学监测，以实现实时装配优化和误差控制。成品将印刷在低成本的基材上，用于疾病诊断等复杂功能。该项目的更广泛影响包括大规模功能纳米材料的成本效益制造，以及全面的教育和推广计划，包括研究生，本科生和K-12学生的指导，包括代表性不足的群体。除了对研究生和本科生进行直接指导外，项目负责人还开展了大量的外联活动，在提案工作期间，这些活动将继续并扩大。这包括参与让高中教师参与研究相关活动（UCR）的项目，在加州理工学院的少数民族素质教育（QEM）和少数民族数学、科学和工程（MSE）项目中发挥重要作用，让高中生参与纳米技术研究，并与以科学为导向的艺术和娱乐团体（纽约大学）密切合作。

The goal of this Scalable NanoManufacturing (SNM) project is to develop a scalable and inexpensive process for manufacturing integrated systems of DNA constructed nanodevices and metamaterials. Structural DNA nanotechnology is unique in its ability to arrange nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, proteins, quantum dots, and metal nanoparticles into arbitrary varieties of rationally designed nanoscale geometries. Some such structures have already demonstrated potential as sensors, transistors, optical components, nanomechanical manipulators, and experimental platforms for basic science. Because DNA nanostructures are self-assembled, it is possible in principle to cheaply produce large quantities of future nanodevices for widespread technological application. The key challenge is the integration of these devices into functioning systems in a way that is compatible with mass manufacturing. At present, there is no viable technological vision for doing so, very limited pertinent knowledge regarding the issues and challenges, and limited efforts in addressing these problems by researchers in the field. The aim is to remedy this situation by combining the development of more versatile DNA based nanostructures with the exploration of entirely novel concepts for electronically monitoring and controlling the assembly of DNA nanostructure arrays. Another aim is to improve qualitatively our ability to interface DNA nanostructures with functional nanoscale materials and provide powerful new ways to monitor and guide DNA based self-assembly. This project is based on DNA nanostructures that will undergo surface initiated self-assembly into much larger 2D and 3D arrays. The long term vision is a bench-top factory, in which functional nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and proteins are assembled with the help of DNA into high quality nanostructures arranged according to a macroscale system layout. Assembly will be monitored both electronically and optically to allow real time assembly optimization and error control. The finished product will be printed onto low cost substrates for sophisticated functions such as disease diagnosis. The broader impact of this project includes cost-effective manufacturing of large scale functional nanomaterials, as well as a comprehensive education and outreach program including the mentoring of graduate students, undergraduates and K-12 students, including underrepresented groups. In addition to direct mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, the PIs have a strong record of outreach activities, which will be continued and expanded during the proposal work period. This includes participation in programs to engage high school teachers in research related activities (UCR), playing a vital role in Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) and Minorities in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering (MSE) programs at Caltech, and involving high school students in nanotechnology research and close collaboration with scientifically-oriented arts and entertainment groups (NYU).