The activities at Nanobioelectronics & Biosensors Group aim at the integration of nanotechnology methods, tools and materials into low cost, user friendly and efficient sensors and biosensors with interest for several fields such as diagnostics, food analysis, environment monitoring and other industries. The developed nanobioelectronics and (bio)sensors devices will take the advantages of nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanochannels and other nanomaterials while being integrated into innovative, high sensitive and mass production transducing platforms with interest for several applications in everyday life.
The objective is to study the biocompatibility of nanomaterials along with their properties such as: a) ability to be immobilized onto several electrodic transducing platforms so as to generate a high-conductive surface area interface that enables the sensitive / catalytic detection of ionic, molecular and biomolecular analytes; b) ability to act as effective labels for the amplified simultaneous analysis of analytes; c) possibility to enable the design of biomaterial architectures with pre-designed and controlled electrochemical functions ability including switching on-off properties that can easily be applied for several bioelectronics based detection systems that involve biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, cells and other receptors; d) ability to be integrated into novel lab-on-a-chip systems with interest for in-field screening of analytes along with other applications; e) ability to be integrated into nanobioelectronic based actuators / devices including nanomotors with special interest in future f or connection of biosensing / diagnostics with drug delivery / therapy applications. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches to develop nanobioelectronics based (bio)sensors and biodevices will be used.
Our main objective is to design low cost, user-friendly and efficient electrochemical based sensors and biosensors that can be used by non professional people for fast diagnostic at home or doctor’s office, control of food quality, security applications as well as other applications where either an emergency exists or an alternative method toward the sophisticated and expensive laboratory instrumentation is being required.
Our main research activities are:
1. Design, preparation and characterization of nanomaterials for sensors and biosensors applications
2. Electrochemical sensors based on nanostructurated materials (i.e. carbon nanotubes etc.) for environmental monitoring and other industrial applications.
3. Nanoparticle based electrochemical detection (bio)systems and biosensors for DNA, protein and cell detection with interest for user-friendly diagnostics, security and quality control for various applications.
4. Fast and low cost sensing devices for heavy metals and other compounds with interest for environment control and other industrial applications.
5. Lab-on-a-chip systems with interest for in-field screening of analytes and other applications.
For more information contact:
Prof. Arben Merkoçi
ICREA Senior & Group Leader
E-mail: arben.merkoci.icn@uab.es