Speaker:
Dr. Peter Levine
Columbia University
Title:
Active CMOS Biochips for Electrochemical DNA Assays
Date:
Monday, May 10, 2010
Time:
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Location:
EIT 3142
Abstract:
Electrochemical-based active CMOS biochips could eliminate the need for
physically-bulky and expensive optical instruments required in traditional
fluorescence-based DNA assays, enabling the design of low-cost, portable
devices for clinical and point-of-care genetic diagnostic applications.
Unlike fluorescence-based genomic assays, which can function well using a
passive substrate such as a glass slide, multiplexed electrochemical-based
platforms require an electronically-active substrate to analyze each
array site. CMOS technology is well-suited to this application because
it can be augmented with arrays of sensitive chemical transducers through
standard post-processing techniques, enables integration of electronic
instrumentation to reduce platform size, and can be manufactured at
relatively low cost.
I will discuss the design, implementation, post-processing details,
and validation of an active CMOS biochip for electrochemical-based
genomic assays based on the detection of redox-labeled DNA molecules.
Integrated potentiostat electronics drive on-chip electrochemical
reactions, sense DNA probe-target binding occurring at an array of
integrated gold working electrodes, and transmit digital data off
chip for analysis. I will present experimental results demonstrating
multiplexed and specific DNA detection as well as real-time monitoring
of hybridization, a task that is difficult, if not impossible, with
traditional fluorescence-based DNA microarrays. I will also discuss the
design of a second CMOS biochip for label-free DNA assays. This platform
does not require the use of labeled DNA targets and, therefore, reduces
the time and cost associated with DNA sample preparation.
Biography:
Peter M. Levine received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering as a
member of the Bioelectronic Systems Laboratory at Columbia University
in 2009. His research interests are in the development of CMOS-integrated
biological assays, integrated microsystems for clinical and environmental
monitoring, and, more generally, in combining CMOS microelectronics
with novel materials or devices to enable non-traditional applications
in the life sciences. He obtained his B.Eng. in Computer Engineering
and M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. In 2005
he was a recipient of an Intel Foundation Ph.D. Fellowship.
