CAREER: Novel Voltage-gated Solid State Nanopore Technologies Resembling Natural Ion Channel Proteins

该项目的目标是利用固态纳米孔重建天然离子通道的功能。天然离子通道限制在狭窄的温度和pH范围内，限制了它们在生物传感应用中的可用性。用静电可控的固态纳米孔代替天然离子通道，使生物传感器能够在广泛的环境条件下工作。该项目的变革之处在于，它能够通过纳米级特定几何形状的嵌入式电极排列产生的电场来创建一个可重新配置的通道。结合电活性聚合物的使用，可以放大纳米孔的开/关比，所提出的平台将是通用的，而不仅仅局限于一个特定的应用。智力上的优点是能够通过纳米孔进行离子和分子移位的基础研究，有助于深入了解如何在纳米尺度上控制渗透。利用纳米孔内的静电场，分子可以暂时停靠和释放，从而允许传感器的可重构和可重复使用。更广泛的影响是分子过滤，生物传感和局部药物释放，从而潜在地改善整个社会。建议的跨学科研究将作为一种新兴技术整合到研究生和本科课程中。建议的初中和高中拓展计划模块将使学生接触到建议研究的关键物理概念，包括电场，表面张力和低噪声电子。

The objective of this program is to recreate the functionality of a natural ion channel using a solid-state nanopore. Natural ion channels are limited to narrow ranges of temperature and pH, limiting their usability for biosensing applications which are now emerging. Replacing natural ion channels with electrostatically controllable solid-state nanopores enables operation of biosensors in a wide range of environmental conditions. The transformative aspect of the project is the ability to create a channel that is reconfigurable via electric fields generated through an arrangement of embedded electrodes in a particular geometry at the nanoscale level. Combined with the use of electroactive polymers which enable the amplification of the nanopore on/off ratio, the proposed platform will be universal and not limited to one particular application.The intellectual merit is the ability to perform fundamental studies of ionic and molecular translocation through a nanopore, helping to gain insight into how permeation can be controlled on the nanoscale. Using electrostatic fields inside the nanopore, molecules can be temporarily docked and released, allowing reconfigurable and reusable sensors.The broader impacts are on molecular filtration, biosensing, and localized drug release and thus potentially improve society at large. The proposed transdisciplinary research will be integrated as an emerging technology into the graduate and undergraduate curriculum. The proposed middle and high school outreach program modules will expose students to critical physical concepts underlying the proposed research, including electric fields, surface tension and low noise electronics.