Achievement

Over the past year, IGERT-LifeChips fellow Patrick Sims has been intimately involved in interdisciplinary research. Patrick’s research has lead to new ways of investigating single molecule biological phenomena using chip technology. Patrick and his collaborators have succeeded in developing a unique LifeChip technology. Single-molecule monitoring was accomplished using a novel electronic technique in which lysozyme molecules were tethered to single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistors through pyrene linker molecules. The substrate-driven hinge-bending motions of lysozyme induced dynamic electronic signals in the underlying transistor, allowing long-term monitoring of the same molecule without the limitations of optical quenching or bleaching. Patrick’s research team is composed of molecular biologists, chemists, and physicists. Undoubtedly this research would not have been possible without the diverse scientific backgrounds of everyone involved.