Our investigations apply a nanoengineering approach using structural characterization, nanofabrication and properties measurements at surfaces. Research projects provide cross-disciplinary training for students, applying analytical methods to solve problems in combination with systematic studies using analytical chemistry, surface science and protein chemistry. Scientific discoveries in the emerging field of nanoscience are the foundation of new technologies in areas such as molecular electronics, bioinformatics, medical diagnostics, and drug discovery.
Techniques applied in our lab for characterizing thin films, biomolecules and nanomaterials include:
* High-resolution imaging using atomic force microscopy (AFM) & scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
* Fluorescence microscopy
* Conductive probe measurements using AFM/STM
* Measurements of surface properties (elasticity, magnetic, friction and adhesion forces)
* Development of nanoscale lithographies for structuring surfaces
Nanoengineering is applied to optimize the affinity and selectivity of surfaces of biosensors and biochips.Surfaces can be engineered to avoid non-specific protein adsorption, and yet make specific interactions with targeted proteins to be assayed. Very few surfaces are protein resistive, and it is still a major challenge to understand the mechanisms that contribute to protein resistance or adhesion. Designed surfaces are useful for viewing antigen-antibody binding at the nanometer scale, to assess the specificity of binding, and to evaluate protein orientation and the accessibility of targeted ligands.
Lithographic approaches have been developed for constructing nanostructured surfaces for fundamental studies of protein binding. Particle lithography with proteins can be applied to organize viable protein nanostructures for biosensing. AFM-based lithography with self-assembled monolayers can be used to rapidly and reproducibly create precise arrays of nanometer-sized test structures on surfaces. The height, density, and surface chemistry of nanopatterns can be fine-tuned by the selection of thiolated molecules to be patterned, with designated chain lengths and terminal groups.
In situscanning probe methods provide precise control of surface reaction conditions such as spatial arrangement, chemical composition, and density of ligands. Strengths of an in situ SPM-based approach include the highly local level of morphological detail, as well as imaging and fabrication capabilities in near-physiological, buffered liquid environments. These studies can facilitate the development of new approaches for immobilization and bioconjugation chemistries, which are key technologies used in manufacturing biochip and biosensing surfaces
The reliability and sensitivity of biosensing and biochip technologies depend on the affinity, viability and accessibility of immobilized biological components. Engineering surfaces using the feedback of in situ nanoscale characterization may substantially improve protein detection, revealing detailed information regarding the bioaffinity of designed surfaces. To advance analytical chemistry measurements to the ultimate limits of sensitivity, miniaturization offers rewards of reduced quantities of analytes and reagents, increased density of sensor and chip elements, faster reaction/response time and potential for massive parallel analyses.
NSF Early Career Award (2009-2014)
HHMI Distinguished Mentor Award (2009-2010)
Emerging Investigator - Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry journal (for 2009)
Young Investigator Travel Award, Electochemical Society, Phoenix, AZ (2008)
Emerging Young Investigator Travel Award, FACSS - Orlando, FL (2006)
Young Investigator Travel Award, ACS Northwest Regional Meeting - Reno, NV (2006)
Emerging Young Investigator in Analytical Chemistry, The Analyst (2006)
College of Basic Sciences Faculty Research Award, 2005 & 2007
Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, 2005
Petroleum Research Fund, Type G starter grant 2005-2007
National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, NIST 2003
J.-R. Li; J. C. Garno.* Nanostructures of Octadecyltrisiloxane Self-Assembled Monolayers Produced on Au(111) Using Particle Lithography. Applied Materials & Interfaces, DOI: 10.1021/am900118x ASAP, 2009
B. R. Lewandowski; A. T. Kelley; R. Singleton; M. Lowry; I. M. Warner; J. C. Garno.* Nanostructures of Cysteine-Coated CdS Quantum Dots Produced by “Two-Particle” Lithography. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2009, 113 (15), 5933–5940
F. Barrière; B. Fabre; E. Hao; Z. M. LeJeune; E. Hwang; J. C. Garno; E. E. Nesterov; M. G. H. Vicente. Electropolymerizable 2,2’-carboranyldithiophenes. Structure-property investigations of the corresponding conducting polymer films by electrochemistry, UV-visible spectroscopy and conducting probe atomic force microscopy. MacroMolecules, ASAP,2009
J.-R. Li; J. C. Garno.* Indirect Modulation of Non-Magnetic Probes for Force Modulation AFM. Technical Brief, Analytical Chemistry, 2009, 81(4), 1699-1706
S. L. Daniels; J. N. Ngunjiri; J. C. Garno.* Investigation of the magnetic properties of ferritin by combining AFM imaging with electromagnetic sample modulation, by invitation for the special issue featuring Young Investigators (May 2009). Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2009, 394(1), 215-223
Z. M. LeJeune; W. K. Serem; A. T. Kelley; J. N. Ngunjiri; J. C. Garno*. AFM-Based Nanofabrication with Self-Assembled Monolayers. Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Technology, 2009, in press
J.-J. Yu; J. N. Ngunjiri; A. T. Kelley; J. C. Garno.* Nanografting versus Solution Self-Assembly of α,ω-Alkanedithiols on Au(111). Langmuir, 2008, 24, 11661-11668
E. Hwang; K. M. N. deSilva; C. B. Seevers; J.-R. Li; J. C. Garno; E. E. Nesterov. Self-Assembled Monolayer Initiated Electropolymerization: a Route to Thin-Film Materials with Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance. Langmuir, 2008, 24, 9700-9706
E. A. Stefanescu; C. Stefanescu; B. C. Donose; J. C. Garno; W. H. Daly; G. Schmidt; I. Negulescu. Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites: Influence of Ionic Strength on the Structure and Adhesion Characteristics in Multilayered Films. Macromolec. Mater. & Eng., 2008, 293, 771-780
Z. M. LeJeune; W. K. Serem; A. T. Kelley; J. N. Ngunjiri; J. C. Garno*. AFM-Based Nanofabrication with Self-Assembled Monolayers. Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Technology, 2009, in press
J. N. Ngunjiri; J. C. Garno*. Applying AFM-Based Lithography for Nanoscale Protein Assays (A-Page & cover article). Anal. Chem, 2008, 80, 1361-1369
D. P. Young; A. B. Karki; J. N. Ngunjiri; H. Zhu;B. Wei; D. Moldovan; J. C. Garno; P. W. Adams. Self-Assembly of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes from Quench-Condensed CNi3 films. J. Appl. Phys, 2008, 103, 053503
Li, J.-R.; Garno, J. C.*. Elucidating the Role of Hydrosilation for Nanopatterning Organosilanes via Particle Lithography. Nano Letters, 2008, 8, 1916-1922
J. N. Ngunjiri; A. T. Kelley; Z. M. LeJeune; J.-R. Li; B. R. Lewandowski; W. K. Serem; S. L. Daniels; K. L. Lusker; J. C. Garno*. Achieving precision and reproducibility for nanografting patterns of n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers. Scanning, The Journal of Scanning Microscopies, 2008, 30, 123-126
M. Kadalbajoo, J.-H. Park, A. Opdahl, H. Suda, J. C. Garno, J. D. Batteas, M. J. Tarlov, P. DeShong. Synthesis and structural characterization of glucopyranosylamide films on gold. Langmuir, 2007, 23, 700-707
J. C. Garno, C. D. Zangmeister, J. D. Batteas. Directed Electroless Growth of Metal Nanostructures on Patterned Self-Assembled Monolayers. Langmuir, 2007, 23, 7874-7879
J.-R. Li, G. C. Henry, J. C. Garno*. Fabrication of Nanopatterned Films of Bovine Serum Albumin and Staphylococcal Protein A Using Latex Particle Lithography. The Analyst, 2006, 131, 244-250
C. M. Drain, G. Smeureanu, S. Patel, X. Gong, J. C. Garno, J. Arijeloye,. Colloidal Porphyrin Nanoparticles as Supramolecular Systems. New J. Chem., 2006, 30, 1834-1843
T. Milic, J. C. Garno, G. Smeureanu, J. D. Batteas, C. M. Drain. Self-Organization of Self-Assembled Tetrameric Porphyrin Arrays on Surfaces. Langmuir, 2004, 20, 3974-3983
C. M. Drain, T. Milic, J. C. Garno, G. Smeureanu, J. D. Batteas. Organizing Self-Assembled Porphyrin Arrays on Glass and Metal Surfaces. Polymer Preprints, 2004, 45, 346-347
C. A. Hacker, C. Zangmeister, J. C. Garno, J. D. Batteas, L. A. Richter, R. vanZee. Structure and Chemical Characterization of Self-Assembled Thiolacetyl-4-[4’-(2-fluoro-1-phenylethynyl)-phenylethynyl] benzene Monolayers on Gold. Langmuir, 2004, 20, 6195-6205
J. C. Garno, Y. Yang, N. A. Amro, S. Cruchon-Dupeyrat, S. Chen, G.-Y. Liu. Precise Positioning of Nanoparticles on Surfaces Using Scanning Probe Lithography. Nano Letters, 2003, 3, 389-395
K. Stamm, J. C. Garno, G.-Y. Liu, S. A. Brock. General Methodology for the Synthesis of Transition Metal Pnictide Nanoparticles from Pnictate Precursors and its Application to the Iron-Phosphorus Phase Diagram. Journal of the American Chemical Society, (Communication), 2003, 125, 4038-4039
G.-Y. Liu, N. A. Amro, K. Wadu-Mesthrige, J. C. Garno. Nanostructures of Organic Molecules and Proteins on Surfaces. Proceedings, International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, SPIE, 2002, 4807, 10-22
J. C. Garno, N. A. Amro, K. Wadu-Mesthrige, G.-Y. Liu. Production of Periodic Arrays of Protein Nanostructures Using Particle Lithography. Langmuir, 2002, 18, 8186-8192
R. Baldwin, K. Pettigrew, J. C. Garno, P. P. Power, G.-Y. Liu, S. M. Kauzlarich. Solution Synthesis of Alkyl Capped Tetrahedral Prisms of Si Nanoparticles. Journal of the American Chemical Society, (Communication), 2002, 124, 1150-1151
J.-F. Liu, S. Cruchon-Dupeyrat, J. C. Garno, J. Frommer, G.-Y. Liu. Three-Dimensional Nanostructure Construction via Nanografting: Positive and Negative Pattern Transfer. Nano Letters, 2002, 2, 937-940
T. L. Brower, J. C. Garno, A. Ulman, G.-Y. Liu, C. Yan, A. Golzhauser, M. Grunze. Self-Assembled Multilayers of 4,4’-Dimercaptobiphenyl Formed by Cu(II) Oxidation. Langmuir, 2002, 18, 6207-6216
K. Wadu-Mesthrige, N. Amro, J. C. Garno, S. Cruchon-Dupeyrat, G.-Y. Liu. Contact Resonance Imaging - A Simple Approach to Improve the Resolution of AFM for Biological and Polymeric Materials. Applied Surface Science, 2001, 175-176, 391-398
P. H. Toy, T. S. Reger, P. Garibay, J. C. Garno, J. A. Malikayil, G.-Y. Liu, K. D. Janda. Polytetrahydrofuran Cross-Linked Polystyrene Resins for Solid-Phase Organic Synthesis. Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry, 2001, 3, 117-124
K. Wadu-Mesthrige, N. A. Amro, J. C. Garno, S. Xu, G.-Y. Liu. Fabrication of Nanometer-Sized Protein Patterns Using Atomic Force Microscopy and Selective Immobilization. Biophysical Journal, 2001, 80, 1891-1899
F. Auer, M. Scotti, R. Jordan, B. Sellergren, J. C. Garno, G.-Y. Liu, A. Ulman. Nanocomposites by Electrostatic Interactions: 1. Impact of Sublayer Quality on the Organization of Functionalized Nanoparticles at Charged Self-Assembled Layers. Langmuir, 2000, 16, 7554-7557