The goal of this proposal is to develop a convenient and portable electrophoretic plasmonic nanopore (EPN-GeneS(tm)) DNA sequencing system that will enable the rapid, reliable, and automated DNA sequencing of an entire human genome within 30-minutes at a cost ($100) that will revolutionize biological research and medicine. The fundamental innovation is based on an electrophoretic plasmonic nanopore system (= 1.0-nm) use to slow and control the translocation rate of single stranded DNA molecules over wide ranges to enable accurate, fast throughput, massively parallel, and real time single base pair optical recognition. The propose EPN-GeneS(tm) sequencer uses a cost-effective and disposable fully integrated electrophoretic plasmonic nanopore (EPN) biochip that is interrogated via a custom Smart cell-phone attachment device that integrates opto-fluidics for electrophoretic fluid motion control, standard multi-wavelength semiconductor laser-diodes (pump & stokes) to excite the vibrational modes of the translocating DNA, and label-free visualization of the scattered Raman spectral signature of the DNA base-pair sequence using holographic filters integrated to the high resolution cell phone camera to acquire and process the sequence images via web connectivity, resulting in a cost affordable ($100) DNA sequencing device. In Phase I we will demonstrate the capability to control translocation rate of long DNA, i.e., Lambda-DNA, molecule through the fractal plasmonic nanoporous structures to enable the real time recognition of the base pair DNA sequence using optical imaging techniques. In Phase II we will optimize and integrate the EPN-GeneS(tm) nanofluidic biochips to achieve a cost affordable ($100) high quality and reliable complete DNA sequencing device.
Complete sequencing of the human genome is this millennium's discovery goal. Rapid advances in DNA sequencing is ushering the era of personal genomics to the point that every individual will have access to the complete DNA sequence of their genome for a modest cost. In Phase I of this program, ROI will demonstrate the capability to electrophoretically slow and control the translocation rate of long ssDNA through the fractal plasmonic nanoporous 'roof' structure and identify in real time the translocating ssDNA single base pairs using SECARS imaging techniques. If successful a complete sequence of a long ssDNA from a sample such as Lambda-DNA will be determined. In Phase II, ROI will optimize and integrate the EPN-GeneS(tm) nanofluidic biochips to a low cost opto-fluidics prototype system that can transition to FDA approval and early entry to the next generation sequencing commercial market.
