Nanophotonics of RE/DNA/nanotube materials: From bio-sensing-on-chip to live stem cell measurements

摘要标题：复合荧光纳米材料的基础物理和生物传感应用稀土与DNA包裹的碳纳米管结合非技术：纳米材料已经深刻地影响了现代生活的几个方面，其中之一与其在医药和保健方面的力量有关。这项研究涉及稀土材料，由于其优异的荧光性能，稀土已经在照明、太阳能电池、传感器、生物和医学诊断以及成像方面找到了重要的应用领域。该项目将进一步推进生物成像技术的应用。这是之前研究的继续，在先前的研究中，稀土与一种独特的纳米碳材料结合在一起，即所谓的单壁纳米管。纳米管本身已经被用于各种微型传感器中，这种传感器非常小，可以放在布线上。最近，该小组提出使用包裹在DNA中的纳米管来研究活细胞，并取得了令人振奋的结果。它已经展示了纳米材料如何提高稀土的传感能力。新的项目将扩展这项研究，并将重点放在纳米管作为微小天线，以放大稀土接收到的光信号。由于这些光学元件的尺寸很小(纳米)，它们可以穿透细胞并从那里传输与生物相关的信息，潜在地提高了我们对细胞如何作为生物体的组成部分的知识，并帮助医学和健康科学解决它们目前的问题。这项研究还伴随着一项针对当地社区和全国STEM学生的强有力的推广计划。技术：该项目专注于开发和研究基于单壁纳米管和单链DNA的稀土络合物的生物成像材料。本研究的意义在于开发一种新型的生物传感材料。由于单壁纳米管的直径只有几个纳米，可以与许多生物大分子如酶、抗体、DNA质粒等相媲美，并可以与细胞内环境相互作用。这使得它们与生物医学研究和应用中的新机会越来越相关。虽然在早期阶段，这个项目启发了我们，活的有机体，在细胞水平上，可能会在摄入时受到新的现代纳米材料(纳米管)的影响。利用光学非破坏性表征，在该项目的前一阶段已经确定了细胞内纳米管的命运。在新的项目过程中，该团队将致力于相互交织的理论和实验任务，包括实验光学表征和纳米管-DNA-稀土离子杂化材料的近场电磁模式理论；探索这些纳米材料在光子晶体和仿生水凝胶中的生物传感应用性能；研究热点在纳米管材料中的作用及其对稀土离子和/或DNA的光致发光的影响；实验研究在其晶格中加入生物传感材料的光子晶体的光学响应调制；这些纳米材料在微流体传感系统中的应用以及在体外研究神经干细胞方面的应用。一系列样本将通过合作链接在利哈伊大学以及犹他大学、LANL和NIST进行研究。传播这些成果的多样化计划包括在LeHigh提供研究建议和教学，在当地学校(Palisade High School，Moravia Academy)推广，参加学校儿童发展国家设施(DaVinci Discovery Center)的展览，通过当地社区学院(NCCC，LCTI和LCCC)以及当地Kutztown大学、REU和GAN计划在物理系内促进STEM。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Abstract Title: Fundamental physics and biosensing applications of composite fluorescent nanomaterials rare-earths combined with DNA-enclosed carbon nanotubesNontechnical:Nanomaterials have influenced drastically several aspects of modern life, one of those is associated with their power in medicine and health care. This research involves rare-earth based materials due to their excellent fluorescence rare earths have already found a significant application niche in lighting, solar cells, sensors, biological and medical diagnostics and imaging. The bioimaging applications will be further advanced in this project. It is a continuation of the previous study in which rare-earths were combined with a unique nanocarbon material, so called single-wall nanotubes. Nanotubes by themselves has been already used in various miniaturized sensors, which are so extremely small that can be placed on a fabric thread. Most recently this group proposed using nanotubes enclosed in the DNA for studying live cells and has obtained promising results. It has been already demonstrated how nanomaterials could improve sensing capabilities of rare-earths. New project will extend this study and focus on nanotubes as tiny antennas to magnify the optical signals received by rare-earths. Due to small (nanometer) scale of these optical elements they can penetrate inside the cells and transmit the biologically relevant information from there, potentially improving our knowledge about how cells work as building blocks of organisms and helping medicine and health sciences in solving their current problems. This research is accompanied by a vigorous outreach program, aimed both on the local community and STEM students nationwide.Technical:This project focuses on developing and studying materials for bioimaging based on the rare-earth complexes with single-wall nanotubes and single strand DNA. Significance of this research is in developing a new biosensing material. Since single-wall nanotubes have diameters of only a few nanometers, they are comparable to many biological macromolecules such as enzymes, antibodies, DNA plasmids, etc. and may interact with intracellular environment. This makes them increasingly relevant for new opportunities in biomedical research and applications. Though at early stage, this project enlighten us about how the living organisms, at the cell level, may be influenced by new modern nanomaterials (nanotubes) upon ingestion. Using optical non-destructing characterization the fate of the nanotubes inside the cells has been already determined on the previous stage of the project. In the course of new project the team will work on intertwined theoretical and experimental tasks, including experimental optical characterization and theory of near-field electromagnetic modes in the hybrid materials of nanotubes-DNA-rare-earth-ions; exploring performance of these nanomaterials for bio-sensing applications in photonic-crystals and inside bio-mimetic hydrogels; studying the role of hotspots in nanotube materials and their influence on the photoluminescence of rare-earth ions and/or DNA; experimental studies of modulation of optical response of photonic crystals incorporating biosensing materials inside its lattice; application of these nanomaterials inside micro-fluidics sensing system and to studying in vitro neural stem cell. A series of samples will be studied, prepared at Lehigh University as well as at University of Utah, LANL and NIST via the collaboration links. A diverse program for dissemination of those results involves research advising and teaching at Lehigh, outreach at local schools (Palisades High School, Moravian Academy), participation in exhibition at a school children development National facility (the DaVinci Discovery Center), STEM enhancement programs via local Community Colleges (NCCC, LCTI and LCCC) and local Kutztown University, REU and GAAN programs within the Physics Department.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.