Abstract

Optofluidic Labs-on-Chip For Single Molecule Analysis

Holger Schmidt, Narinder Kapany Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of California-Santa Cruz

Lab-on-chip devices have long held the promise of providing a convenient and rapid way to analyze small amounts of biological samples. However, when pushed to the ultimate limit of single molecule sensitivity, the detection mechanism is often based on off-chip elements. I will discuss a chip-scale platform that offers both integrated optical and electrical single molecule analysis. Optical integration is achieved by using liquid-core waveguides interfaced with traditional photonic elements to implement advanced functionalities. Examples include multiplex detection of single viruses, simultaneous detection of proteins and nucleic acid biomarkers, and front-to-back sample handling and single DNA detection on a single chip. Electrical single molecule analysis is achieved by integration of solid-state nanopores. Novel nanopore detection capabilities such as feedback-controlled delivery of single molecules to a fluidic channel are demonstrated. The combination of both optical and electrical detection modalities results in a novel, high throughput platform for single molecule analysis.