EAPSI: Evaluation of new nanomaterials as sensing agents using a charge-based separation technique

Sirkisoon Leona R, Lexington NC

Investigators

Abstract

The recent discovery of nanomaterials - chemical materials smaller than bacteria - has sparked new research on their varied properties and potential applications. This study will compare the utility of two nanomaterials - gold nanoparticles and graphene quantum dots- as sensing agents for proteins. Improved detection of proteins implicated in a variety of human health issues is increasingly important as new threats to wellness emerge. New methods employing these nanomaterials, in conjunction with a high resolution separation technique, will be developed to provide the selective and sensitive detection of target molecules. Currently, nanomaterials used for biomolecular labeling include inorganic quantum dots and gold nanoparticles, which can be toxic or too expensive for routine use. The goals of this research are to develop and better understand the properties and applications of safer and more economical nanomaterial alternatives as probes for molecular sensing. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Saito, a noted expert in applied separations, at Saitama University in Japan. Graphene-based quantum dots are new nanomaterials with the potential to circumvent the toxicity and expense of currently utilized nanomaterials. These nanomaterials, when used as chemical modifiers in capillary electrophoresis, or CE, promise to provide faster and easier detection of proteins like calmodulin (CaM) - a small, ubiquitous calcium-sensing protein that is diagnostic of calcium related diseases. The sensing capabilities of the nanomaterials will be evaluated by CE methods, which will rely on enhanced detection sensitivity afforded by changes in the fluorescence response of the nanomaterials upon interaction with the free and calcium-bound forms of the CaM. These nanomaterials are expected to serve as sensitive molecular probes for enhanced detection, and as effective separation modifiers, improving the resolution of bioanalytes in complex mixtures. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.