"Multispectral Plasmonic Interferometry: A New Tool for High-throughput, Real-time Detection of Cytokines"

Pacifici1159255利用等离子体和纳米光子学的最新进展，拟议的研究目的是开发一种密集的、平面的纳米级等离子体干涉仪阵列，用于实时、灵敏、多路和高通量地表征各种释放的细胞因子，例如在多发性创伤患者中。提出的概念的新颖性是多波长等离子体干涉计量学的新设计，该多波长等离子体干涉计量学耦合到针对细胞因子的表面化学以提供所需的选择性。其结果将是一个大型、密集的等离子激元干涉仪阵列，在保持最终灵敏度的同时，可以扩展当前SPR技术的能力，包括宽带波长检测、特定分析物指纹识别和高通量表征，方法是在单个芯片中集成每平方厘米100多万个SPR当量传感器。除了更好地了解纳米尺度上的光-物质相互作用外，拟议的研究还将极大地影响目前用于生命科学的几种与人类健康相关的分析和分析的吞吐能力，并作为一种替代的高通量方案，用于更快地发现药物，以及更有效地识别和筛选新疗法。拟议的研究还将在国家需要的领域为学生提供研究生级别的培训，特别注意吸引和留住在科学和工程领域任职人数不足的少数群体和妇女。除了对当地学校的教育外展外，私人投资促进机构还将招募一名高中暑期学生，使用拟议的等离子干涉测量方法进行传感实验。

Pacifici1159255Leveraging recent progress in plasmonics and nanophotonics, the aim of the proposed research is to develop a dense, planar array of nanoscale plasmonic interferometers for real-time, sensitive, multiplexed, and high-throughput characterization of a variety of cytokines released, e.g., in polytrauma patients. The novelty of the concept being proposed is a new design for multi-wavelength plasmonic interferometry coupled to surface chemistries that are specific to cytokines in order to provide the required selectivity. The result will be a large, dense array of plasmonic interferometers that, while retaining the ultimate sensitivity, could expand the capabilities of current SPR techniques to include broad-band wavelength detection, for specific analyte fingerprinting, and high-throughput characterization, via integration of more than one million SPR-equivalent sensors per square centimeter in a single chip. In addition to a better understanding of light-matter interaction at the nanoscale, the proposed research will dramatically impact the throughput capabilities of several analyses and assays relevant to human health and currently used in the life sciences, and serve as an alternative high-throughput scheme for faster drug discovery, as well as more efficient identification and screening of novel therapies. The proposed research will also provide graduate-level training of students in areas of national need, with particular attention to attracting and retaining underrepresented minorities and women in science and engineering. In addition to the education outreach to local schools, the PIs will recruit a high school summer student to perform sensing experiments using the proposed plasmonic interferometry approach.