This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The objective of this research to design, and demonstrate a versatile, high pixel density, calorimetric (bio)chemical sensor array from temperature sensitive micromachined quartz crystal resonators. The approach is to locate micromachined biochemical reaction chambers in close proximity to the quartz resonator array and couple the heat from the reaction chamber to the quartz resonator via radiation and conduction through ambient gas in the narrow gap. The close proximity and the extremely high infrared absorption coefficient of quartz renders this system into a very sensitive calorimeter design. The proposed QCM array will be unique new demonstration of a planar calorimetric biosensor array integrated with reaction chamber. The unprecedented temperature sensitivity of 10-5 °C at array level is only possible due to recent developments in quartz micromachining processes and offers a unique opportunity for array level (bio)chemical sensing applications. The ultimate aim of this work is to create a handheld or desktop multianalyte sensor system in which the quartz resonator arrays with the integrated bioreactors can be dropped in as disposable, easy to swap cartridges. The proposed sensing system will find applications in biochemical assays, clinical diagnostics, laboratory instrumentation, and homeland security. In addition, it will be used for fundamental real-time investigations of biochemical processes and phenomena relating to biomolecular growth, conformations, and reaction thermodynamics. Interdisciplinary courses and research activities on biosensors and biomaterials will be developed at undergraduate and graduate levels. The various NSF-REU and Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) on campus will be used to attract under-represented groups.
