(7ah) Polymer Based Nano-Sensing Technology Platforms for Healthcare, Environmental Monitoring

Research Interests: Softmaterials, Nanoparticles, Microfluidics, Bio/chemical sensors, Functional sensing materials, diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, environmental monitoring

Teaching Interests: Microfluidics, Softmaterials, bio/chemical sensors, Interfacial science, Reaction and transport phenomena

Polymer based nanoparticle (e.g. hydrogel) sensing technologies are emerging as a nextGen screening tools for detecting various (bio)-and chemical analytes in healthcare, environment, food and agriculture sector. By presenting a case study on nucleic acid testing module using polymer nanoparticles, I would demonstrate how an interplay between interface and bulk would imparts the desirable properties and further how an interdisciplinary approach especially insights from chemical engineering would help in fine tuning the systems. Currently, nucleic acid testing (NAT) for diseases ranging from chronic to infectious conditions is exclusively performed in centralized laboratories by expensive instruments and skilled manpower. Despite several developments in the nucleic acid testing modules such as RT-PCR, microarrays, and microfluidic based PCR devices etc., they still suffer with several problems, such as longer time for hybridization/amplification, risk of sequence bias, sample preprocessing, and multiple process steps. Another major limitation is that the frequent addition of reagents externally to progress the reaction. Therefore, I would focus on “design and development of novel nucleic acid detection platforms” for diagnosis and prognosis of chronic to infectious conditions using hydrogel based polymeric materials. In my poster, I would be presenting the development of novel dual chambered particles/pads in which first half is designed to have functionalized probe molecules within the hydrogel network and another half of the polymer system provides fluid like environment to accommodate free floating target molecules, linkers, and enzymes. Further, the interface of these two chambers are separated by a stimuli responsive porous polymer layer which allows diffusion of reagents upon stimulation for subsequent reaction in a graphene-hydrogel transparent composite microwells having optical detection features. As a future faculty member, I devote on working with fluids, interfaces, and materials with broad focus on solving grave challenges in the domain of healthcare and environment. Specifically, my focus would be on fundamental understanding of reaction-transport phenomena in/on sensing surfaces, interfacial mechanisms of bio-surfaces, along with processing of soft and nano-electronic materials leading to the development of technology platforms for medical diagnostics, biological threat detection, forensics, wearables, and healthcare along with environmental monitoring. In this area, I would like to study the fundamental and applied aspects for preparing functional sensing surfaces, transport of analytes, specific recognition reaction schemes, interfacial and biological aspects, including charge transport in electronic materials along with stimuli responsive mechanisms. By utilizing the knowledge generated through fundamental aspects, I would focus on building “Field deployable nextGen technology platforms” for solving challenges in the aforementioned areas. I worked with interdisciplinary teams in various schools and industries including semiconductor Fab, and had extensive background in establishing the microfluidic sensors, polymer based research laboratories, clean rooms, and training on range of state-of-the-art micro/nano-fabrication and characterization tools/techniques. In addition, the capabilities of establishing international collaborative projects, grant writing, and project leadership qualities along with teaching and mentoring-puts me in a unique position to pursue a career in academia for carrying out cutting edge research to solve societal challenges with technological interventions.