Single Molecule Detection in Living Cells and Tissues Using a New Class of Optical Sensors Based on Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Michael S. Strano, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Taekjip Ha, Department of Physics
Thomas Eurell, Department of Veterninary Sciences
Klaus Schulten, Departments of Physics & Chemistry
Ilesanmi Adesida, Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering
Bibiania Onoa, Dupont Research
The focus of this proposed research program is to develop the scientific and engineering basis necessary to realize robust, single molecule detection in living cells in real time. To accomplish this, researchers will try to accomplish the following: understand and control transport and localization of nanotube sensors inside a murine myoblast stem cell model; investigate and utilize optical transduction mechanisms at the single nanotube level; develop and design rules for marcromolecular assembly onto single walled carbon molecules by calculating intermolecular potential functions and simulating optical properties; and fabricate multifunctional, single nanotube sensors and demonstration of extended, real time detection of target analytes in a living cell system. The outcome could lead to technologies that transform science and medicine by creating probes as small as a single molecule that could communicate information about the sub-cellular environment remotely using near infrared light. This would have immediate applications to single cell physiometry, metabolic pathway engineering, disease diagnostics and biomarker identification, cell signaling and tracking trace analytes.