Research

Please visit the above links to have a more detailed look at our research projects. Below is a list of Centers that we are leading or affiliated with.

NSF MBM at UIUC - Miniature Brain Machinery

NSF STC EBICS at MIT/GT/UIUC - Emergent Behavior of Integrated Cellular Systems

NSF IGERT at UIUC - Cellular and Molecular Mechanics and Bionanotechnology
(download brochure)

NIH Training Grant at UIUC - Midwestern Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center
(download brochure)

NSF CiiT (I/UCRC) at UIUC - Center for Innovative Instrumentation Technology

NSF NSEC at OSU - Center for Affordable Nanoengineering for Polymeric Micro and Nanodevices

 

Research: Overview

Research Interests

Our vision in integrating biology and medicine with micro and nanotechnology can be categorized into two broad areas, namely how micro/nano-fabrication can help solve problems in life sciences (such as diagnostics, therapeutics, and tissue engineering), and how we can learn more from life science to solve important problems in micro/nano-science and engineering (such as bio-inspired self-assembly, etc.). This is schematically shown below.

Research Interests Chart

Thrust areas of research in our group:

Field Effect Transistor Biosensing
- Detection of Viable Pathogens Using Label-Free Electrical Detection of Nucleic Acid Amplification
- Improving the sensitivity of field effect biosensors through electronic desalting
- Biosensing on large-scale field-effect transistor array
Solid State Nanopores
- Stacked Graphene Nanopores to control DNA transport
- Detection and Quantification of DNA Methylation
- Concentration and analysis of circulating DNA
Point-of-care microfluidic diagnostics systems
- Quantification of Viral Load Using Liposome Encapsulation for HIV Detection
- Impedance-based Complete Blood Count on Microfluidic Devices
Resonant mass sensors for cellular analysis
- Characterization of single cell mass response
3D biofabrication
- Design and fabrication of 3D printed biobots
- 3D Microfabrication of Biological Machines

Click on a link above for more in-depth description of the thrust areas and specific projects associated with them.