Methods for making nanocomposites are provided. In an embodiment, such a method comprises combining a first type of nanostructure with a bulk material in water or an aqueous solution, the first type of nanostructure functionalized with a functional group capable of undergoing van der Waals interactions with the bulk material, whereby the first type of nanostructure induces exfoliation of the bulk material to provide a second, different type of nanostructure while inducing association between the first and second types of nanostructures to form the nanocomposite.

Provided are devices and methods for detecting a target molecule, based on using a graphene electrode. The devices exhibit high sensitivity to target molecules such as DNA that may be present at comparatively low concentrations.

Provided are devices and methods for detecting a target molecule, based on using a graphene electrode. The devices exhibit high sensitivity to target molecules such as DNA that may be present at comparatively low concentrations.

Provided are a novel immuno-optomagnetic point-of-care (PoC) assay and in particular, a method for detecting an analyte using magnetic nanoparticles and quantum dots (QD) having antibodies which are interfaced with the fabricated PoC biochip platform for quantitative analysis, and an immuno-optomagnetic detection method. The method also relates to methods of making such a plurality of conjugated magnetic quantum dot nanoparticles, methods of detecting analytes using such a plurality of conjugated quantum dot nanoparticles.

A surface plasmonic sensing device (10) comprises a substrate (12) and a first array (20) and a second array (22) of localised surface plasmon resonance island structures (20, 22) on the substrate (12). The surface plasmon resonance island structures (20, 22) of the first (20) and second (22) array respectively have first and second surface functionalisation for selective interaction with respective analytes. The first surface functionalisation is different to the second surface functionalisation. The first (20) and second (22) arrays are interspersed with each other to provide a composite array in a main sensing region (14) of the device (10). Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a surface plasmonic sensing device (10) and a method of analysing a fluid comprising a mixture of two or more analytes. The surface plasmonic sensing device (10) may further comprise a reference region (16) and an auxiliary sensing region (18).

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for acoustically driving spin rotations of diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers using acoustic transducers. The acoustic transducers may comprise devices such as bulk acoustic resonators or surface acoustic resonators. The systems and methods may allow driving of m.sub.s=0 to m.sub.s=−1, m.sub.s=0 to m.sub.s=+1, m.sub.s=−1 to m.sub.s=0, and m.sub.s=+1 to m.sub.s=0 single-quantum (SQ) spin transitions without the need to apply magnetic field pulses. This may substantially reduce the size and power requirements of NV center-based sensors. The systems and methods may be used to conduct a variety of measurements, such as measurements of magnetic field, electric field, orientation, strain, or temperature.

A Fano resonator device can be used to sequence DNA or other macromolecules. The device includes customized molecular components, informed by computation analysis. Techniques for preparing and using the device also are disclosed. The device can be incorporated in a system that further includes a sample processing component and a flow chamber.

The present invention provides methods and systems for encoding and decoding of synthesis steps and conditions of combinatorial synthesis of molecular library on carrier-beads. The encoding is performed at each step of synthesis by attachment of smaller fluorescently labelled beads (label-beads) to the surface of a carrier-bead (carrier-bead). The number of label-beads should be such that each is spatially resolvable on a surface of the carrier-bead. Alternatively label-beads are detachable, or the carrier-bead are dissolvable, so the label-beads could be dispersed over large enough distance to be resolved spatially. The fluorescent spectrum of each of the label-beads carries information of the synthesis step and synthesis, i.e., a spectral barcode or binary encoding system. During decoding of the spectrally identified label-beads, a fluorescent spectrum of each spatially resolvable label-bead is determined.

The present disclosure features an apparatus for identifying molecules, the apparatus including chambers configured to receive a conducting media; a membrane including a pore separating the chambers, a first set of electrodes in the chambers, a first current detector measuring an electrical signal between the first set of electrodes, a second set of electrodes electrically contacting the membrane, a second current detector configured measuring an electrical signal between the second set of electrodes, a plasmonic feature adjacent to the pore of the membrane, a light source configured to emit light onto the plasmonic feature, a light collector to collect the light scattered from the plasmonic feature, and a computing device configured to identify at least one attribute of a molecule that passes through the pore of the membrane.

The present invention provides, among other aspects, stabilized chromophoric nanoparticles. In certain embodiments, the chromophoric nanoparticles provided herein are rationally functionalized with a pre-determined number of functional groups. In certain embodiments, the stable chromophoric nanoparticles provided herein are modified with a low density of functional groups. In yet other embodiments, the chromophoric nanoparticles provided herein are conjugated to one or more molecules. Also provided herein are methods for making rationally functionalized chromophoric nanoparticles.