NIRT: Highly Integrated Optical Nanoparticle-Based Sensing Systems Based on Nanoparticle Synthesis, Assembly, and Integration

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

NIRT: Highly Integrated Optical Nanoparticle-Based Sensing Systems Project Summary This NIRT focuses on significant improvements in the performance and portability of sensor systems through the exploitation of nanoscale materials. This comprehensive approach relies on the team composed of chemists, electrical engineers, biomedical engineers, materials scientists and chemical engineers from Duke University, Wayne State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity results from the scientific and engineering exploration and discovery underlying the design and fabrication of a system-on-a-chip sensing system exploiting nanostructured materials as both multi-spectral emitters and robust targeted probes. Nanoparticles are increasingly important for sensing and offer a range of optical modalities. Optical signals from nanoparticles are often significantly enhanced over bulk materials allowing for miniaturization of the entire sensing system. Nanoparticles will be used in different functions: as light emitters to enable sensing and as molecular beacons to enhance signals generated during sensing. The efficacy of this integrated approach will be studied the use of these sensing\detection media to recognize tagged molecular and endogenous fluorescence targets. The sensor platform exploits new nanostructure sensing and emitting media, optical emitter structures, new means of materials integration, and demonstrates the improvements in performance gained from on-chip integration. The broader impacts of this project derive from the diversity, both disciplinary and demographic, of the team, and the inclusion of undergraduate students in the project through linkages with diversity programs. Educational articles and curricular materials will be generated such as articles in educational journals that use research results and local expertise to communicate new concepts in sensing.