Functional microfluidics and electrokinetic modulation in transistor-based nano-scale sensors for single molecule analysis

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https://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/project.jsf?pid=project:6060

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Title [sv]

Funktionell mikrofluidik och elektrokinetisk modulering i transistorbaserade nanosensorer för analys av enstaka molekyler

Title [en]

Functional microfluidics and electrokinetic modulation in transistor-based nano-scale sensors for single molecule analysis

Abstract [en]

Effective determination of the size and charge of biological molecules with single molecule resolution is crucial for understanding their dynamic functions, and has important applications ranging from disease diagnosis to drug discovery. Available technologies are predominantly optical-based, often requiring laborious labeling, and are limited in speed and affordability. By exploiting their electrokinetic signature we have recently demonstrated an electronic approach for comparative size and charge determination of biomolecules. This project aims to combine this principle with highly sensitive Si-nanowire field-effect transistor (Si-NW FET)-based nanosensors, and develop a means for size and charge analysis of biomolecules, possibly reaching single molecule resolution. However, for such devices there are fundamental challenges, which are associated with slow diffusion of molecules, thereby preventing their fast localization on a nano-scale area and the limitation arising due to electrostatic shielding of charges in ionic liquid. Therefore, the project proposes to develop a microfluidic platform integrating a novel enrichment and liquid trapping scheme and a strategy to exploit electrokinetic effects in order to overcome the aforementioned challenges. Finally, by combining theoretical and experimental investigations, the implications and limitations of electrokinetic effects for conformational and effective electric charge analysis of a bound molecule will be evaluated.