Detection of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents is a con-tinuing challenge. The amounts of CBW agent sufficient to cause harm to humans are very small, requiring exceptional sensitivity; often, rapid identification and remediation is necessary; widely dispersed, inexpensive sensors are required to monitor large areas for agents; and, perhaps the most worrisome, the variety of possible agents is virtually unbounded. With advances in biological synthesis capabilities, creation of new CBW agents is no longer exclusively a nation-state enterprise. This development demands a new approach to monitoring. In order to meet the sensitivity and areal distribution requirements, a chip-scale technology, sensitive to a variety of agent classes, requiring only very small (picoliter) volumes and with integral preconcentration processes is required. The broad goal of this work is to establish the basic understanding and the technological methodologies necessary to implement high-density arrays of nanoscale channels as versatile, sensitive and selective components for chip-scale biodetection systems that will allow response to a wide variety of CBW agents. Nanofluidic separation and detection (providing the picoliter sensitivity) and smart, functionalized receptor bead microcolumns (providing the preconcentration and selectivity). Technologies are brought together. A fundamental understanding of the physical phenomena involved in nanoscale transport of complex fluids is a prerequisite for the development of the new generation of bio-separationtechnologies. A key enabling technology that will emerge from this effort is the development of inexpensive, facile and manufacturable means for creating integrated fluidic circuits that allow the transition from macroscopic fluid handling (e.g., pipettes) to nanoscale dimensions.
This program will support two students and one postdoctoral re-searcher. UNM is a Hispanic Serving Institution with large populations of Hispanic and Native American students; very active recruitment and retention efforts are already underway in the labs of the investigators.
