The objective of this research is to explore how to assemble microscale devices capable of performing multiple functions in a single femto- / picoliter environment - the "Lab-in-a-Sphere" (LinaS). The goal is to integrate individual nanoparticle-based devices such as sensors, catalysts, and temperature-control components. The key to realizing this dream, and the first step towards the development of a prototype LinaS, is the development of reliable processes for stable co-immobilization of nanoparticles with varying surface chemistry and size within larger microspheres. The approach is a systematic experimental investigation of the chemical and physical properties of nanoparticles, (surface chemistry, charge, and size) that determine efficiency, stability, and distribution of encapsulation.
Knowledge regarding the material interfacial properties and the manufacturing processes developed promises impacts which extend beyond this proposal. The LinaS will be a platform technology; many applications can be approached, depending upon the type and configuration of the nanosystems involved, impacting the fields of biological research, environmental monitoring, chemical process control, and medical devices, including replacing or augmenting conventional in vitro laboratory diagnostic tests, as well as new devices for in vivo monitoring of humans and economically-important large animals. The findings of this project can illustrate concepts in courses on BioMEMS/biomedical nanotechnology, colloids and interfaces, biomedical optics, biosensors, nanoassembly, and nanomedicine. This project will lay the foundation for a sustained effort to explore the proposed LinaS systems, including extensive investigation of interactions between individual subsystem components, and it is anticipated that industrial collaborations will develop to move the technology closer to commercialization.
