Introduction

The goal of our Center is to develop tools for understanding nanoscale systems that link Physics, Chemistry and Biology. We plan to build, image and test ultra-small quantum devices based on electrons and photons, and to understand their behavior theoretically. We will develop physical tools based on microfluidics, to investigate as systems the operation of biological cells and tissues on the nanoscale.

The Center addresses these goals through research in three Clusters:

Cluster I: Tools for Integrated Nanobiology aims to build bridges between the physical and biological sciences. The physical sciences offer powerful new tools for manipulating and testing biological cells and tissues. In turn, biology offers an enormous range of engaging problems in functional biological systems, and the opportunity to think about "hybrid" systems that combine biological and non-biological components.

Cluster II: Nanoscale Building Blocks will develop new classes of synthesized building blocks with nanoprobe and nanodevice functionality, including zero-, one- and two-dimensional nanostructures based on new materials, as well as structures with unconventional shapes. These building blocks will be assembled into new types of sensors and devices.

Cluster III: Imaging at the Nanoscale will explore new ways to image the quantum behavior of electrons inside nanostructures, and emitted photons, using custom-made scanning probe microscopes (SPMs). Quantum devices and heterostructures with novel properties will be developed using Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE).