Nanoscale Biosensing Devices: Fundamental Insight on the Sensing Mechanism
Abstract
The uncovering of biomarkers holds great potential in the early detection of physiological dysfunction and is critical to address biological process affecting Airman performance. Nanoscale field-effect transistors (FETs) modified with target-specific receptors can enable direct electronic target detection with the advantage of enhanced sensitivity due to the nanoscale channel confinement. Integration of recognition elements into sensing platforms is often a time-consuming trial-and-error effort with low success rates. Understanding the structural and electronic parameters affecting sensing in nanoscale electrical-detection devices is key for their controllable use as biosensing platforms with ultrasensitive and label-free capability; unravelling the fundamental interactions governing the sensor signal generation further opens new directions for nanosensors applications (e.g. studying dynamic changes in biomolecules) with improved sensitivity and selectivity. To address this challenging task, we propose to combine experimental and computational tools developed with recent AFSOR-funded work. Building on our published work on nanoscale multiplexed reconfigurable biosensors, we will develop and refine structural models that describe the interactions of bioreceptor and nanocarbon transducers at the interface, and interrogate their effect on the signal generated. This will generate a knowledge-based platform to allow us to rationally engineer nucleic acid architectures for optimal device biosensing. Combining experimental testing and computational-aided design, we will gain fundamental insight on the effect of biomolecular recognition on the properties of carbon nanostructure-based nanosensors towards an enhanced development/use of these nanoscale devices as portable biosensors of Airman biosignatures. This will allow: (i) the optimization of the sensor performance in biofluids, (ii) the integration of multiple analyte signals to characterize Airman Biosignatures, as well as (iii) the tuning of sensitivity ranges of sensor elements thereby extending the ranges of arrays.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Source ID
- FA86552117003XX0
Entities
People
- Matteo Palma
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Queen Mary University of London
- United States Air Force