Dipartimento di Chimica

Ilaria Fratoddi vi invita al seminario:

Development of Nanomaterial-Based Devices for Point-of-Care Applications in Global Health

di Arben Merkoçi, ICN2, Barcelona, Spain

 

Il seminario avrà luogo il 29 maggio p.v. alle ore 15.00 in Sala Parravano, Ed. Cannizzaro (CU014).

Abstract

In our increasingly interconnected world, the demand for rapid, accessible, and cost-effective diagnostic tools is paramount. Nanobiosensors—devices that integrate nanomaterials such as quantum dots, metallic nanoparticles, and two-dimensional (2D) materials with biological recognition elements like DNA, antibodies, and aptamers—offer promising solutions. These sensors, as stand alone or wearables, can be fabricated using sustainable substrates like nitrocellulose and advanced printing techniques, including inkjet printing and stamping, enabling mass production and scalability. By leveraging the unique properties of nanomaterials, these devices achieve high sensitivity and specificity, facilitating the detection of various biomarkers associated with diseases such as cancer, COVID-19, and other pathogens, as well as chemical pollutants. Their compatibility with portable readout systems, including smartphones, positions them as ideal candidates for point-of-care diagnostics, particularly in resource-limited settings. 

This talk will delve into the design and development of such nanobiosensors, highlighting their operational principles, fabrication methods, and real-world applications. Attendees will gain insights into how these innovative devices are poised to revolutionize diagnostics, making healthcare more accessible and equitable globally.

 

Prof. Arben Merkoçi

 

Arben Merkoçi is an ICREA Research Professor and head of the Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group at ICN2 in Barcelona, Spain. Arben Merkoçi obtained his PhD at the University of Tirana (Albania) in ion selective electrodes. Since 1992 he has carried out research as postdoctoral fellow and research professor at the Polytechnic University of Budapest (Hungary), University of Ioannina (Greece), Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and New Mexico State University (USA). His research is focused on the integration of biological molecules and other species with micro- and nanostructures to design novel (bio)sensors. He is member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania and director and coordinator of NANOALB (www.nanoalb.al), the regional network of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Prof. Merkoçi is Co-Editor in Chief of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, the principal international journal devoted to research, design development and application of biosensors and bioelectronics, member of editorial board of Electroanalysis, Microchimica Acta and other journals.

Prof. Merkoçi has published 353 articles (H-index / citations: Google Scholar 91 / 32689; WOS 81 /25064) and supervised 40 finished PhD theses. He is also involved in teaching PhD courses in the field of nanomaterial- based biosensors in several Spanish and international centres. He has been a member of the commission for establishing the new Nanoscience and Nanotechnology undergraduate academic curriculum at the UAB, the first one in Spain, which started during the academic year 2010- 2011. He is a member of the Academics Working Group of BIST and coordinator of the Nanodiagnostics module of the Nanotechnology Master at the UAB. He has got several national and international grants related to nanomaterials application in biosensors and his group is collaborating with several worldwide leading labs in the field of nanobiosensors. Prof. Merkoçi serves also as scientific evaluator and member of panels of experts of various international governmental and nongovernmental agencies (EU-FP and EU-ERC panels and other panels in Europe, USA and other countries), as a scientific committee member of many international congresses, director of several workshops and other scientific events and have been invited to give plenary lectures, keynote and invited speeches in more than 220 occasions in various countries. Prof. Merkoçi is the co-founder of two spin-off companies: GraphenicaLab, devoted to graphene patterning, and PaperDrop, dedicated to clinical diagnostics.