Proposal for a PhD Thesis - Institute of Microelectronics - A*Star

PhD Project Proposal
Title: Novel Sample Delivery System for Nanosensor Sensing
Period: 2010–2012 (3 years)
Supervisor: Dr. Chen Yu
E-mail: chenyu@ime.a-star.edu.sg
Laboratory: Institute of Microelectronics (IME), A*STAR (http://www.ime.a-star.edu.sg)
Nanotechnology is the buzzword of the 21st century. Billions have been invested around
the world in developing this technology. Nanoscale electronic devices, photonics devices
have the ability to achieve exquisite sensitivity to detect molecular interactions. The key
implication is that it may drive down the diagnostic costs substantially and enable sensing
in many different environments, which would otherwise be impossible. Several sensors
have been developed utilizing the ability of nanotechnology to improve the sensing
efficiency in IME. Nanowires, Nanophotonics based resonator, Surface Enhanced Raman
spectroscopy (SERS) substrate. Currently, IME is focused on integrating these nanosensors
with the sample preparation system to perform the point of care diagnosis, bedside
detection, cancer therapy monitoring in infectious disease, cancer cells, and cardiac
biomarkers area and also in drug screening application.
One of the major challenges for these integrated systems is sample delivery system. The
approach to delivery the target molecular to the nanosensor directly affects the sensor
sensitivity (lowest detection limitation), sensor response time as well as sensing
reproducibility especially for a lower concentration sample.
The PhD students will address this challenge to explore different sample delivery
mechanisms and target on achieving fast and reproducible sample delivery systems with

a capability to integrate with the following nanosensors as well as sample preparation
systems for various applications.
Nanowire sensor with sample preparation system for nucleic acid based point of
care diagnosis application
Biophotonics nanosensor ( silicon waveguide based resonator) for drug screening
System on SERS substrate for molecular interaction study
The work scope of PhD students’ thesis will include
Microfluidic design and simulation
Sample delivery system and nanosensor integration design
Device fabrication
Microfluidic characterization and bio application characterization