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Biological Applications of "Smart Dust," or Porous Silicon Photonic Crystals

Technology Application

In addition to those mentioned above, the researchers are currently exploring other biological applications, such as controlled drug-release, biomedical implants, artificial organs, and cell-based experimentation platforms.

Detailed Technology Description

UC San Diego researchers have developed a new nanotechnology platform called "smart dust" with state-of-the art applications in almost every field of use, ranging from biological sensing and screening to communications technology. The invention utilizes micron-sized particles of silicon that have been etched and then chemically modified in such a way that each individual particle has its own addressable identity. This feature allows one to use thousands of particles together, each with its own tag, for high-sensitivity chemical or biological sensing, diagnostics, and low- and high-throughput screening of biomolecular compounds. The method does not require the use of fluorescent tags, but could be used in conjunction with them.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US7903239B2
Application Number: US2007665613A
Inventor: Sailor, Michael J. | Schwartz, Michael P. | Alvarez, Sara | Bhatia, Sangeeta | Derfus, Austin | Migliori, Benjamin | Chao, Lin | Li, Yang Yang | Campbell, Rebecca | Dorvee, Jason | Rang, Ulla Camilla
Priority Date: 19 Oct 2004
Priority Number: US7903239B2
Application Date: 25 Feb 2008
Publication Date: 8 Mar 2011
IPC Current: G01N000100
US Class: 356038
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Porous photonic crystal with light scattering domains and methods of synthesis and use thereof
Usefulness: Porous photonic crystal with light scattering domains and methods of synthesis and use thereof
Summary: For use in a cell-based biological and chemical sensor (claimed), for sensing presence, quantity and morphology of a target analyte, e.g. cell, macromolecule, protein, polymer, biomolecule, biopolymer and molecular complex, that is utilized in a genomic, proteomic, drug discovery, medical diagnostic, environmental sensing, pollution monitoring, detection of chemical or biological warfare agent and industrial process monitoring.
Novelty: Target analyte, e.g. cell, presence, quantity and morphology sensing method for use in cell-based biological and chemical sensor, involves exposing porous substrate to environment suspected of containing target analyte

Industry

Measurement/Testing

Sub Category

Measurement Tool

Application No.

7903239

Others

Related Materials

• See Professor Michael Sailor's smart dust presentation from June 2005.
• See the lab link at http://chem-faculty.ucsd.edu/sailor/research.

Tech ID/UC Case

19576/2005-038-0

Related Cases

2005-038-0, 2005-044-1

*Abstract

None

*IP Issue Date

Mar 8, 2011

*Principal Investigator

Name: Sara Alvarez

Department:

Name: Sangeeta Bhatia

Department:

Name: Rebecca Campbell

Department:

Name: Lin Chao

Department:

Name: Austin Derfus

Department:

Name: Jason Dorvee

Department:

Name: Yang Yang Li

Department:

Name: Benjamin Migliori

Department:

Name: Ulla Camilla Rang

Department:

Name: Michael Sailor

Department:

Name: Michael Schwartz

Department:

Country/Region

USA