NSF-EC Activity: Integration of New Hybrid Materials Containing Biomolecules for the Fabrication of Optical Sensor Systems

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal is an interdisciplinary, collaborative, and international program between the University of Arizona Optical Sciences Center (OSC), the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA, and European-Union researchers. The program is directed at creating and developing the materials, the fabrication processes, and the components needed to demonstrate an integrated, optoelectronic system-on-a-chip capable of multifunctional sensing of chemical and biological agents. The UCLA research involves the development of sol-gel glasses doped with biomolecules that can be used as opto-chemical transducers that exploit the sensitivity and selectivity of antibodies and enzymes. The chemical and biochemical changes of the encapsulated biomolecules can be monitored by optical methods. The research will encompass the development of light sources, photodetectors, and micro-optical systems based on hybrid organic/inorganic materials. The students will receive more than simply "exposure" because they will gain hands-on experience in areas of materials synthesis, processing, spectroscopy, device fabrication and operation, as well as system integration. The interdisciplinary nature of this collaboration will also provide the students with a fundamental understanding of synthesis-property relationships for hybrid optical materials and their applications in chemical and biological sensing. This proposal is an interdisciplinary, collaborative and international program directed at creating and developing the materials, the fabrication processes, and the components needed to demonstrate an integrated, optoelectronic system-on-a-chip capable of sensing chemical and biological agents. The program consists of two components: (1) research and development of chemical and biomedical sensing materials based on the sol-gel encapsulation of biomolecules and (2) research and development of optical sensing techniques that capitalize on the optical properties of the sensing materials. The program will provide strong educational benefits to participating undergraduate and graduate student researchers and make them competitive in the world economy. The breadth of the research and our proposed international training program will ensure that the students will not only become experts in their own field of specialization, but that they also will achieve a detailed understanding of the entire sensor system. The students' knowledge will encompass the fundamental chemical and physical science and engineering of the transducer and optical system, and the realities of device fabrication. This project is being co-funded by the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate (Office of Multidisciplinary Affairs, Division of Materials Research, Chemistry Division) and the Engineering Directorate (Chemical and Transport Systems Division).