Presenter(s): Ian Torrence—Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor(s): Sean Fontenot
Session 2: Cells R Us
Chemically sensitive field effect transistor (ChemFET) development have been well studied as ion- sensing chemical sensors . These devices are attractive to other chemical sensors due to their low cost, low power consumption, small size, and their compatibility with electronics . By applying an ion- selective material, typically a polymer, on the ChemFET it is possible to create an interfacial potential difference between the environment and the gate-oxide of the FET . This ion-selective material can be designed to ensure the potential difference is dependent only on the activity of a target analyte. Currently, there is a need for a real-time chemical sensor to detect both nitrate and ammonium concentrations in soil, dubbed “total-N” content of the soil, as described by the NSF grand challenge for closing the nitrate cycle . This is primarily to combat fertilizer runoff caused by over fertilization of crops resulting in high concentration of nitrate in lakes, rivers, and streams . My research shows promising results for two ChemFETs that are sensitive and selective for ammonium and nitrate respectively which can be measured simultaneously for real time nitrate sensing in aqueous systems .