Arizona State University

Motorola Corporation

Lars Chapsky

Wayne Frasch

Herbert Goronkin

Frederic Zenhausern

Chia Fu Chou

A nanoscale motion detector attaches a gold nanorod () to the rotating arm () of a molecular structure () to cause the nanoparticle to rotate. The molecular structure is an F1-ATPase enzyme. The gold nanorod is exposed to a light source. The long axis of the gold nanorod scatters red light when the nanorod is in a first position. The short axis of the gold nanorod scatters green light when the nanorod is in a second position. A polarizing filter filters the red and green light to detect the rotational motion by observing alternating red and green lights. A detection DNA stand () is coupled between the gold nanorod and the molecular structure. The detection DNA strand hybridizes with a target DNA strand () if the target DNA strand matches the detection DNA strand to form a structural link between the molecular structure and gold nanorod.

Polarization-enhanced detector with gold nanorods for detecting nanoscale rotational motion and method therefor

An exemplary system and method of employing DNA hybridization for the detection of bio-agents is disclosed as comprising inter alia a biomolecular rotary motor (); a capture probe DNA fragment () effectively attached to said biomolecular motor (); a target DNA fragment () suitably adapted for hybridization with said capture probe DNA (); a signal probe DNA fragment () suitably adapted for hybridization with said target DNA (); and a fluorescent bead () attached to said signal probe DNA (). Disclosed features and specifications may be variously controlled, adapted or otherwise optionally modified to improve certain device fabrication parameters and/or performance metrics.

Growing community of inventors

Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Lars Chapsky