Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Harvard College

Ruixuan Gao

Edward Stuart Boyden

Charles M Lieber

Linyi Gao

Ping Xie

Chih-Chieh Yu

Xiaojie Duan

Fei Chen

Max Nathan Mankin

Adam H Marblestone

Mark Andrew Skylar-Scott

Bozhi Tian

Paul Warren Tillberg

Samuel Gordon Rodriques

Daniel Oran

Thomas J Kempa

Itzhaq Cohen-Karni

Quan Qing

Xiaocheng Jiang

Robert Day

Steffen Strehle

Nikita Obidin

Shoh Asano

The invention encompasses hydrogels, monomer precursors of the hydrogels, methods for the preparation thereof, and methods of use therefor. The linking of monomers can take place using non-radical, bioorthogonal reactions such as copper-free click-chemistry.

Swellable and structurally homogenous hydrogels and methods of use thereof

The invention provides a method for preparing an expanded cell or tissue sample suitable for microscopic analysis. Expanding the sample can be achieved by binding, e.g., anchoring, key biomolecules to a DMAA-TF polymer network and swelling, or expanding, the polymer network, thereby moving the biomolecules apart as further described herein. As the biomolecules are anchored to the polymer network isotropic expansion of the polymer network retains the spatial orientation of the biomolecules resulting in an expanded, or enlarged, sample.

Dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) hydrogel for expansion microscopy (ExM)

The present invention enables three-dimensional nanofabrication by isotropic shrinking of patterned hydrogels. A hydrogel is first expanded, the rate of expansion being controlled by the concentration of the crosslinker. The hydrogel is then infused with a reactive group and patterned in three dimensions using a photon beam through a limited-diffraction microscope. Functional particles or materials are then deposited on the pattern. The hydrogel is then shrunk and cleaved from the pattern.

Three-dimensional nanofabrication by patterning of hydrogels

The present invention generally relates to nanoscale wires, and to methods of producing nanoscale wires. In some aspects, the nanoscale wires are nanowires comprising a core which is continuous and a shell which may be continuous or discontinuous, and/or may have regions having different cross-sectional areas. In some embodiments, the shell regions are produced by passing the shell material (or a precursor thereof) over a core nanoscale wire under conditions in which Plateau-Raleigh crystal growth occurs, which can lead to non-homogenous deposition of the shell material on different regions of the core. The core and the shell each independently may comprise semiconductors, and/or non-semiconductor materials such as semiconductor oxides, metals, polymers, or the like. Other embodiments are generally directed to systems and methods of making or using such nanoscale wires, devices containing such nanoscale wires, or the like.

Controlled growth of nanoscale wires

The present invention generally relates to nanoscale wires for use in sensors and other applications. In various embodiments, a probe comprising a nanotube (or other nanoscale wire) is provided that can be directly inserted into a cell to determine a property of the cell, e.g., an electrical property. In some cases, only the tip of the nanoscale wire is inserted into the cell; this tip may be very small relative to the cell, allowing for very precise study. In some aspects, the tip of the probe is held by a holding member positioned on a substrate, e.g., at an angle, which makes it easier for the probe to be inserted into the cell. The nanoscale wire may also be connected to electrodes and/or form part of a transistor, such that a property of the nanoscale wire, and thus of the cell, may be determined. Such probes may also be useful for studying other samples besides cells. Other aspects of the invention are generally directed to methods of making or using such probes, kits involving such probes, devices involving such probes, or the like.

Nanoscale sensors for intracellular and other applications

The present invention generally relates to nanotechnology, including field effect transistors and other devices used as sensors (for example, for electrophysiological studies), nanotube structures, and applications. Certain aspects of the present invention are generally directed to transistors such as field effect transistors, and other similar devices. In one set of embodiments, a field effect transistor is used where a nanoscale wire, for example, a silicon nanowire, acts as a transistor channel connecting a source electrode to a drain electrode. In some cases, a portion of the transistor channel is exposed to an environment that is to be determined, for example, the interior or cytosol of a cell. A nanotube or other suitable fluidic channel may be extended from the transistor channel into a suitable environment, such as a contained environment within a cell, so that the environment is in electrical communication with the transistor channel via the fluidic channel. In some embodiments, the rest of the transistor channel may be coated, e.g., so that the electrical properties of the transistor channel reflect the electrical behavior of the environment that the fluidic channel is in communication with. Other aspects of the invention are generally directed to methods of making such sensors, methods of using such sensors, kits involving such sensors, or the like.

Nanoscale wires, nanoscale wire FET devices, and nanotube-electronic hybrid devices for sensing and other applications

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Ruixuan Gao