Development of a Biosensor Nanofluidic Platform for Integration with Terahertz Spectroscopic System

Report delivered under topic CBD 10-110, contract W911NF-12-C-0046. The goal of this project is demonstration of a nanofluidic sensor platform effective for label-free THz-frequency spectroscopic fingerprinting of biological molecules for detection, identification, and classification applications. In Phase II a completely functioning nanofluidic sensor platform was developed, tested, and refined in combination with a significantly modified THz spectroscopic system. The focus of Phase II project was developments of inexpensive microfluidic technology to fabricate disposable devices. The subsystem for circulating liquid through the arrays of a micronano fluidic sample device was integrated into the spectrometer system. Significant system modifications included a new data acquisition system and software a new fluidic chip holder designed with a syringe pump driving mechanism control system to allow flow through a microfluidic sample analysis chip an automated height positioning of the probe. The accuracy and reproducibility of our system performance for background and sample characterization was evaluated. The theory has been developed to evaluate the dielectric permittivity of water and biomaterial solutions in the THz region for designing microfluidic channels and for data analysis. Protocol was developed for spectroscopic characterization of biomaterials using nanofluidics. Experimental characterization of sub-THz transmission spectra from DNA solution using microfluyidics demonstrated extremely high sensitivity of spectrometer with microfluidic chips in sub-THz range required less than 0.01 ng of dry material. The developed highly sensitive biosensors operating at room temperature with significantly improved ability to discriminate between species and to monitor interactions between biomaterials and reagents in near real-time opens the possibility of a single macromolecule and cell detection and identification and other applications.