Dielectric characterization of biological nanoparticles using a dielectrophoretic slide

路易斯维尔大学被授予一项开发微流控平台的奖项，该平台可以测量生物纳米颗粒(蛋白质、病毒、外切体等)的电学性质。通过监测它们在受到电场刺激时的反应。这种方法还为生物学家提供了一种新的高通量工具，可以在不对分子进行化学改变的情况下表征和浓缩分子。一个由研究生和本科生组成的学生团队将使用微制造技术设计和建造该系统，同时还将通过路易斯维尔大学提供的项目接受创业培训。此外，高中生将为该项目做出贡献，并将通过路易斯维尔大学与西路易斯维尔学校的标志性合作伙伴关系招募学生。该研究项目的目标是开发一个专门的微流体平台，以从根本上洞察生物纳米颗粒的场诱导反应。该平台将使纳米颗粒的电学表征成为可能，它的测量将有助于确认关于蛋白质和其他分子电动力学的新兴理论。此外，调查结果将使开发先进的计划来操纵纳米级生物材料，导致比目前的方法更快和/或更集中的目标物种，否则受到基于扩散的运输的限制。这一奖项反映了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。

An award is made to the University of Louisville to develop a microfluidic platform that can measure the electrical properties of biological nanoparticles (proteins, viruses, exosomes, etc.) by monitoring their response when stimulated by an electric field. This method also provides biologists with a new high-throughput tool of characterizing and concentrating molecules without chemically altering them. A student team of graduate and undergraduate students will design and build the system using microfabrication techniques while also undergoing entrepreneurial training through programs offered by the University of Louisville. In addition, high school students will contribute towards the project and will be recruited through the University of Louisville’s Signature Partnership with West Louisville Schools.The goal of this research project is to develop a specialized microfluidic platform to gain fundamental insight into the field-induced response of biological nanoparticles. The platform will enable the electrical characterization of nanoparticles and its measurements will aid in the affirmation of emerging theories about the electrokinetics of proteins and other molecules. Further, findings will enable the development advanced schemes to manipulate nanoscale biomaterials resulting in much faster and/or greater concentration of target species relative to current methods that are otherwise limited by diffusion-based transport.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.