NanoEngineered Monolithic Optoelectronic transducers for highly Sensitive and LAbel-free Biosensing

Basic data for this project

Description

The objective of this proposal is the development of silicon based integrated optical biosensors capable of detecting single binding events as well as label free biomolecular interactions. The transducer comprises arrays of monolithic silicon optocouplers interfaced with microfluidic channels directly integrated onto silicon. The optocouplers consist of nano-engineered silicon light emitting devices optically coupled to silicon nitride optical fibres and silicon detectors. The optical fibres are specifically biofunctionalized with a variety of biological capture probes. Nanoparticles will be employed as labels for highly sensitive detection of analytes, including single binding event sensing, whereas label free detection will be targeted through patterning of the waveguide surface. Such an integrated optical device provides for the simultaneous detection of a number of biological analytes without the need of external optical components. The main project output is a monolithic silicon microphotonic biochip integrated with microfluidic channels and recognition biomolecules as well as the associated readout and control electronics assembled in a portable bioanalytical microsystem to be tested with specific panels of pituitary hormones, steroid hormones and DNA. The main milestones are the sensitive and wide dynamic range detection of analytes through the monolithic optical transducer, affordable silicon multianalyte biochips, and portable readout and control electronics.