Plasmonically enhanced optical ring resonators for label-free single molecule detection

该合作研究的目的是开发一种等离子体增强光学环形谐振器（PEORR）传感器阵列，用于在单分子水平上检测未标记的生物分子。该混合传感器协同微加工环形谐振器和纳米加工等离子体纳米结构。它利用了与环形谐振器相关的优异的传感分辨率和由等离子体纳米结构产生的极大增强的灵敏度来实现单分子检测，以及环形谐振器的旋转木马效应来有效捕获和运输生物分子以用于样品富集和快速检测。智力优势：在单分子水平上对生物分子的检测和研究允许以前所未有的细节探测和表征分子。传统的单分子检测主要依赖于荧光显微镜，这需要复杂的仪器和复杂的染料标记过程，可能会对分子功能产生不利影响。更广泛的影响：拟议的项目将由密歇根大学和纽约大学理工学院协同执行。研究生将接受跨学科科学的培训，并将通过交换计划在两个实验室中的每一个实验室工作。本科生将与研究生配对，以获得实践经验。将联合制作Youtube视频，宣传研究结果。最后，PI将与当地非博士合作。授权大学为他们的学生开发一个暑期项目，在密歇根大学的PI'板上进行研究。

The objective of the proposed collaborative research is to develop a plasmonically enhanced opticalring resonator (PEORR) sensor array for unlabelled biomolecule detection at the single molecule level.The proposed hybrid sensor synergizes microfabricated ring resonators and nanofabricated plasmonicnanostructures. It takes advantage of the excellent sensing resolution associated with the ring resonatorand the tremendously enhanced sensitivity arising from the plasmonic nanostructures to achieve singlemolecule detection, and of the carousel effect from the ring resonator for efficient capture and transport ofbiomolecules for sample enrichment and expeditious detection. Intellectual Merit: Detection and study of biomolecules at the single molecule level allow to probe andcharacterize molecules in unprecedented detail. Traditional single molecule detection relies primarily onfluorescence microscopy, which requires sophisticated instruments and complicated dye labelingprocesses that may adversely affect a molecules functionality. Broader Impact: The proposed project will be carried out synergistically by the terms from the Universityof Michigan and the Polytechnic Institute at New York University. Graduate students will betrained in interdisciplinary science and will work in each of the two labs through an exchange program.Undergraduate students will be paired with graduate students to obtain hands-on experience. Videos onYoutube will be jointly created to publicize the research findings. Finally, the PI will work with local non-Ph.D. granting colleges to develop a summer program for their students to conduct research in the PI'slab at the University of Michigan.