International Undergraduate Research Experience: The Development and Application of Novel Micro- and Nano-Sized Sensing Arrays Capable of Detecting Small Molecules

Doane University, Crete NE

Investigators

Abstract

Part 1: Doane College, a small liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska, will send at least nine undergraduate science students and three postdoctoral fellows to Germany to conduct nanotechnology research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Three students and a postdoctoral fellow will go each summer for the duration of three consecutive years. The work involves the development of a versatile nano-scaled detection tool that could provide a high societal impact. In Germany, Doane students will work in the labs of Dr. Michael Hirtz and Dr. Pavel Levkin, both well-known internationally for their expertise on nano-scale phenomena. The undergraduate students will receive extensive research training, as well as culture and language preparation at Doane College before their departure to Germany. While in Germany, the research team will be given an in-depth orientation to the country and the research setting at KIT from the project?s Principle Investigator and the international collaborators. Through the PI, the student team will also be linked with investigators at the Center for Nanohybrid Functional Materials at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. The students, who are relatively isolated in the US heartland, greatly benefit from the exposure to a culture abroad, providing a new experience for them. The project provides increased student, post-doc fellow, and faculty understanding of the collaborative research process, as well as potentially motivating undergraduates to continue their studies and/or careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Part 2: The research collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany will advance a technology called DETECHIP (short for detection chip). This is a proven sensor technology based on differential responses of colorimetric and fluorometric sensing elements upon exposure to small molecules of interest, such as drugs of abuse, explosives, and pesticides. DETECHIP is evolving from a macroscale, liquid-phase-testing array utilizing a 96-well plate to a micro-scale, solid-phase array through the use of piezoelectric and inkjet printing. Seeking to further miniaturize and optimize DETECHIP, this work will incorporate Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN) that is available at KIT for micro-to-nanoscale array fabrication on novel polymeric surfaces. In collaboration with the KIT collaborators, the Doane investigators will incorporate the chemical sensors onto amphiphilic nanoporous (HEMA) polymeric surfaces that are produced at KIT. The goal is the uniform fabrication and analysis of arrays for the detection of small molecules. Expected deliverables include: 1) a small micro-to-nanometer-scaled, polymer-supported DETECHIP array; 2) methodology for bench-top or portable analysis with the best imaging and/or read-out technology to be determined during this project period; and 3) reports documenting the efficacy, ease of use, and cost effectiveness of the resulting DETECHIP technology. This international collaboration sets the stage for US post-docs and undergraduates to apply for German Humboldt, Fulbright, and DAAD-RISE fellowships, while German KIT students can participate in academic exchange programs with Doane College.