Rutgers IGERT Program

Crossdisciplinary Bridging:
Surface Science, Physical Chemistry, Biochemical Engineering

The development of solid state biosensors, such as sensors for glucose detection and quantification, is key for rapid monitoring of important vital parameters. We are developing a program to design such devices that can quantify a biological property into an electronic signal. For instance, we are designing a device that is based on a large conformational change in Glucose Galactose Binding Protein (GGBP) occurring upon glucose-binding. This conformational change is used to modulate the charge injection into a silicon chip, thereby providing a direct electrical measurement of glucose concentration. Mutants of GGBP have been prepared that contain cysteine residues. Cysteine provides a reactive thiol group that allows covalent attachment of thiol reactive probes at engineered locations (gln26cys and met182cys). The double cys mutants will be labeled with a donor-acceptor pair of tetramethyl rhodamine and Cy5. The Cy5 is a singlet-excited-state-sensitized electron-acceptor and has a second functional group that allows covalent tethering to the functionalized silicon surface. The rate of promotion of the acceptor to the first singlet state controls the rate of charge-injection into the silicon. The amino acid substitutions are on opposite domains such that the conformational change associated with binding the ligand causes a change in distance between the two probes. This modulates the energy transfer rate to the acceptor. This design does not consume the glucose during its operation. Binding of the glucose is reversible allowing reuse of the sensor. The essential elements of the biosensors that we will study are a diode laser to excite the acceptor, a well-functionalized silicon interface to bind the glucose binding proteins and to harbor a p-i-n junction, and a matrix to localize the active area to insulating part of the junction. This example illustrates the approach necessary to design novel biosensors.

Major Events

IRIF:Megan Anderson Fri., 12/11 in BME-122, 12-1 pm
Enhanced Survival of Progeny of Neural Stem Cells in Response to Trace Eyeblink Conditioning

IRIF:Andrew LHuillier Thurs., 11/19 in BME-122, 12-1pm
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Mediated Immunosuppression and IDO Metabolites

RESCHEDULED: Bioindustry Ethics Luncheon Part II w/ David Finegold (IGERT Fellows ONLY) 11/5/09
Part II of the Ethics Luncheon will be rescheduled to the Spring semester IRIF schedule.

IRIF:Dr. Debu Banerjee 10/22 in BME-122, 12-1 pm
Therapeutic applications of bone marrrow derived Mesenchmal stem cells

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More News

Congratulations!
IGERT Fellows Aaron Carlson and Mohamed Sadik took 1st and 3rd place (respectively) in the Poster Presentations at the 3rd Annual NJ Stem Cell Symposium held Thursday, September 24, 2009. Aaron Carlson's poster was titled “3-D Electrospun Polymer Scaffolds Promote Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Controlled Organization". Mohamed presented “Electroporation-Mediated Molecular Delivery”. Jonathan Davilla took 2nd place with “Identification of Biologically Functional microRNAs in Human ESCs by Ago2 Immunoprecipitation and Sequencing”. The keynote address was delivered by Hakim Djaballah, PhD of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Congratulations to Professor Ki-Bum Lee, Stem Cell IGERT Faculty in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, who is the recipient of the NIH Director’s New Innovator award, 2009.
The NIH Director's New Innovator Award program is designed specifically to support unusually creative early stage investigators with highly innovative research ideas at an early stage of their career.

IGERT fellow wins award:
Congratulations to IGERT fellow Nicole Plourde who was recipient of the 2009 Schering-Plough Innovation Award. She was presented with an awards plaque and a check for $5000 at a ceremony on Thursday, April 16th.

Chris Ricupero featured on Epigenie interview
Follow link here for full interview.