Integration of Nanomechanical Resonators in Microfluidic Systems for Specific Protein Detection

• Author / Creator

  Ko, Wooree

• Nanomechanical resonators offer a pathway towards highly sensitive and label-free detection of biomolecules by transducing the mass of bound analytes into resonant frequency shifts. Zeptogram level and even single cell detections have been successfully achieved by others. However, these experiments have been performed through traditional “dip-and-dry” method, requiring the use of a large quantity of analyte. Such a system is not readily amenable to automation, is subject to contamination and is prone to inter-run variation. Integration of
  nanomechanical resonators into a microfluidic system would facilitate sample delivery and provide a stable Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC) system that could be effectively used for diagnostic tests. There have been a few demonstrations of
  integrating nanomechanical resonators with microfuidic systems. However, these works involved external syringe pumps and valves for sample delivery which make their system bulky, complex and not suitable for point-of-care testing applications. Here we have developed a nanomechanical resonator-based microfluidic system that delivers sample using on-chip automated pump and valve systems and that demonstrates the biosensing capabilities with the limit of detection in femtogram range using minute amount of sample. To our best of knowledge, this is the first integration of nanoresonator-based sensing platform
  with the automated on-chip sample delivery system. Such integration can provide the system with simplicity, portability and potential realization as easily accessible point-of-care diagnostic tools.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Biosensors
  • Nanoelectromechanical systems
  • Resonators

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R35W9S

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.