NSF Award Abstract - #0216716

AWSFL008-DS3

C-RUI: Development and Applications of a Novel Biosensor

Abstract

The goal of this multidisciplinary collaborative project, to be carried at an undergraduate institution, is to develop optical sensors for the detection of chemical and biological samples. Applications include detection of organisms/toxins in wastewater or environmental samples, airborne hazards, as well as, unique genetic sequences. These devices are expected to be inexpensive and robust with sensitivities exceeding that of conventional surface plasmon resonance sensors. The sensor design relies on a new surface wave technique that utilizes surface wave resonance in photonic band gap materials (PBG). The scope and limitations of the PBG surface wave technique will be tested using standard benchmark experiments. The progress will be made in the physics and engineering, chemical and analytical, and biological aspects of the sensor development simultaneously. Thus, development of instrumentation, PBG property prediction, a versatile interfacial layer and selection of appropriate genetic sequences will be the initial foci of effort. Then, a variety of specific biological binding pairs will be coupled to the surface via organosiloxanes that are capable of photopatterning and chemical differentiation, culminating in a multianalyte sensor.

Advances in nanotechnology have made complex biosensing devices possible, however, there is an increasing need for improved detector sensitivity and specificity. The approach of this project is to involve students to address the fundamental science of biosensors, develop proof of principle sensors for specific applications, and capitalize upon collaboration among disciplines. Students participating in the research project will be trained for the increasingly multidisciplinary science and technology sector as they develop discipline-specific laboratory skills.