Multiplexed field-effect transistor nanobiosensors: Bioanotechnology for environmental monitoring of airborne pathogens and for homeland security

快速应变是保障市民免受传染病爆发(例如2003年在多伦多爆发的严重急性呼吸系统综合症及近年的禽流感)和生物恐怖主义(例如2001年在美国发生的炭疽病袭击)，以及及早察觉环境中的有毒污染物和食物中的微生物污染的最有效措施。拟议的项目旨在开发一种基于纳米级场效应晶体管(包括碳纳米管和透明氧化物纳米墙)的新型多重传感器系统。通过在公共场所(医院、学校、机场、交通系统、体育场馆、商场)部署这些纳米生物传感器，这种纳米生物传感器系统可以同时快速、并行地检测多种空气传播的病原体(包括病毒、细菌和毒素)，从而为我们呼吸的空气中的任何危险物质提供早期预警系统。我们的研究将特别集中于开发一般方法，以(A)基于新型纳米材料制造这种纳米级电子传感器系统，以及(B)通过适当的受体使晶体管生物功能化，以捕获整个生物体中感兴趣的目标病原体。这些方法可以推广到开发适当的纳米生物传感器，以便于检测多伦多或滑铁卢等典型加拿大城市中大多数常见的空气传播病毒和环境毒素。该项目将利用碳纳米管和透明氧化物纳米材料的高表面积体积比和表面结构来显著增强对生物受体的吸收，从而大大提高生物传感器的检测效率。通过在单个芯片上构建这些纳米生物传感器的阵列，我们可以提高效率

Fast response is the most effective measure to protect the public from infectious disease outbreaks (e.g., 2003 SARS in Toronto, and bird flu in recent years) and bioterrorism (e.g., 2001 anthrax attack in the United States), and to provide early detection of toxic pollutants in our environment and of microbial contamination of our food supply. The proposed project seeks to develop a novel multiplex sensor system that is based on nanoscale field-effect transistors (involving carbon nanotubes and transparent oxide nanowalls). By deploying these nanobiosensors in public places (hospitals, schools, airports, transit systems, sporting arenas, shopping malls), this nanobiosensor system offers fast, parallel detection of multiple airborne pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, and toxins) simultaneously, thereby providing an early warning system of any dangerous substances in the air that we breathe. Our study will specifically focus on developing the general methodologies for (a) the fabrication of this nanoscale electronic sensor system based on novel nanomaterials, and (b) biofunctionalization of the transistors with appropriate receptors to capture the target pathogens of interest as whole-organisms. These methods can be generalized and extended to develop the appropriate nanobiosensors to facilitate detection of most of the common airborne viruses and environmental toxins in a typical Canadian city like Toronto or Waterloo. The proposed project will take advantage of the high surface-area-to-volume ratio and the surface structures of carbon nanotubes and transparent oxide nanostructured materials to dramatically enhance the uptake of bioreceptors, which will in turn greatly increase the detection efficiency of the biosensors. By building an array of these nanobiosensors onto a single chip, we can increase the efficiency