Date/Time
Date(s) - 06/05/2021
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Title:                    “NanostructuredFluidic Devices for Point of Need Diagnostics” 

Date:                    Thursday, May 6^th, 2021 

Time:                   1:30 p.m.  

 Zoom:                available by contacting macchem@mcmaster.ca 

 Host:                    Dr. Peter Kruse and Dipankar Saha 

ABSTRACT:

Nanostructures display remarkable and unexplored surfacecharacteristics and can act as highly effective sensors and biosensors forspecific features (including identities and activities) of biomolecules. Sincebiomolecules and their assemblies are divers and markers of disease, thenanostructure-based sensing may provide unprecedented solutions to multiple keyareas of biomedicine, in particular diseases diagnostics. This potential forultrasensitive analysis of nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules may besynergistically combined with fluidic sample delivery systems, and lead todevelopment of ideal point of care diagnostic devices with clinically relevantsensitivity and response time in a portable fashion. The premise of ourresearch program is based on the notion that nanostructures have a uniquepotential to boost the sensitivity and selectivity of the molecular detectionby significant amplification of the detection sites within the chip or offeringenhanced optical/electrical properties, while fluidic devices markedly improvethe turn-around time and afford the opportunity for automation. Such hybridnanosurface fluidic devices are capable of working with very small samplevolumes and precise dosing of reagents, enabling the transition to a portablediagnostic tool. We investigate 1) fabricationof novel nanostructured platforms based on 2D and 3D materials, 2) integrationof nanostructures with micro/nanofluidic sample delivery and automated read-outsystems and 3) implementation of the device for detection of small molecules,pathogens, and cancer biomarkers. We have successfully implemented thenanosurface fluidic devices for rapid and quantitative detection of bacteria,viruses and small molecules incombination with optical and electrical read-outs, and molecular profiling ofextracellular vesicles (EVs) in combination with Raman spectroscopy.