NSF Convergence Accelerator Track C: High-Throughput Proteomics Technology Based on Quantum Sensing

NSF融合加速器支持以使用为灵感，以团队为基础，多学科的努力，解决国家重要性的挑战，并将在不久的将来产生对社会有价值的可交付成果。该项目的研究成果将为建立量子技术作为生物医学，特别是蛋白质组学设备的关键工具铺平道路。蛋白质组学设备用于绘制给定细胞、组织和/或生物体的蛋白质图谱。这些信息可以反过来用于开发疾病的治疗方法。该项目将展示量子传感的新发现如何影响和改变诊断和生物医学研究。这将通过简化纯化过程和降低成本实现高通量筛选来实现。核心概念集中于发现金刚石中氮空位（NV）色中心的异常敏感性。该项目将汇集量子物理学家、工程师和生命科学专家，共同研究量子传感在现实世界中的应用。该项目将展示7000多种蛋白质的放大分析。有三个主要的重点，其中包括：i)在金刚石表面上的适体结合试验的发展，ii)光学稳定报告自旋的鉴定，以及iii)自旋标记的位点特异性偶联，用于传感蛋白质结合事件。如果成功，这将导致新一代的蛋白质组学设备。培训和劳动力发展的机会包括：为博士生提供行业和国家实验室体验，ii)为行业研究人员和工程师提供研讨会和证书课程，以及iii)为K-12学生提供外展计划，以了解量子技术及其对日常生活的潜在影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The NSF Convergence Accelerator supports use-inspired, team-based, multidisciplinary efforts that address challenges of national importance and will produce deliverables of value to society in the near future. The research outcomes from this project will pave the way to establish quantum technology as a critical tool in biomedicine, and specifically for proteomic devices. Proteomic devices are used to map the protein profile of a given cell, tissue, and or/organism. The information can be used in turn to develop treatment for disease. This project will show how novel discoveries in quantum sensing can impact and alter diagnostics and biomedical research. This will be accomplished by simplifying the purification process and enabling high throughput screening at reduced cost. The core concept is focused on the discovery of exceptional sensitivity of nitrogen vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond.The project will bring together quantum physicists, engineers, and experts in life sciences to work on a real world application of quantum sensing. This project will demonstrate scaled up profiling of 7000+ proteins. There are three main thrusts, which include: i) the development of an aptamer binding assay on a diamond surface, ii) identification for optically stable reporter spins, and iii) site-specific conjugation of spin labels for sensing protein binding events. If successful, this will lead to a new generation of proteomic devices. Opportunities for training and workforce development include: industry and National Lab experience for PhD students, ii) workshops and certificate programs for industry researchers and engineers, and iii) outreach programs for K-12 students to learn about quantum technology and its potential impact on daily life.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.