Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Our research project will concentrate on the design, fabrication and characterization of novel liquid-phase fiber-optic sensing (FOS) devices and instrumentation systems for identification, detection and monitoring of selected biological substances. Integration of photonic detection mechanisms and capabilities into local and remote biosensor systems will also be studied. By analogy to the lab-on-a-chip concept, we will develop photonic sensing devices and sensing subsystems based on our lab-on-a-fiber (LOF) concept currently under initial exploration in our individual laboratories. In this approach, all sensing, transmission and decoding functions will be based on the optical fiber itself, while selected outside or inside surfaces of the sensing part of the fiber (or fiber-based device) will be functionalized by selected bacteria-specific nano-coatings. The target application for our FOS systems is real-time detection of dangerous micro-cystin producing cyanobacteria. We expect to achieve both close-range sensing with hand-held devices and remote monitoring of cyanobacteria using detection systems deployed in outdoor water reservoirs. Active phages and membranes will be developed and coated at specific locations on optical fibers and fiber devices to build sensor point probes and sensor arrays. The research will also involve studying, fabricating, testing and optimizing new sensing fiber and fiber device structures; new decoding and instrumentation architectures; new multiplexing topologies for sensor arrays; and new calibration and measurand reconstruction procedures for single and multiple photonic sensors. Our proposed (and recently confirmed as feasible) solution based on the LOF concept will offer high bacteria-specific sensitivity, immunity to interference and eavesdropping, and multi-sensor capability over long reaches.