BioNEMS for Real Time Viral/Bacterial Pathogen Detection

Fast, sensitive and portable virus detection techniques are essential to prevent and control future epidemics and bioterrorism threats. We have recently demonstrated a label-free biosensor that can directly detect live viruses (such Ebola and Small Pox surrogates) from biological media at clinical concentrations with minimal sample preparation. This PCR free detection technique enables point of care diagnostics in resource poor settings in developing world and on-field  conditions.

Yanik et al. “An Optofluidic-NanoPlasmonic Biosensor for Direct Detection of Live Viruses from Biological Media”, Nano Letters, 10 (12), pp 4962–4969 (2010).

Artar & Yanik et al “Fabry-Perot Nanocavities in Multilayered Crystals for Enhanced Biosensing”,  Appl. Phys. Lett, Vol. 95, No. 051105, (2009). 

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Establishment of NSF I/UCRC Center for Biophotonic Sensors & Systems, Research findings were critical in securing funding from industrial partners for the establishment of this center. Optofluidic-plasmonic nanosensor was nominated as the top project by the industrial partners and the key reason for collaboration and funding support. (2011)

Current Industry Partners: Agilent; Applied Precision Inc. (a GE company); Becton, Dickinson & Company; Lawrence Livermore National Lab; MIT Lincoln Labs; Potomac Photonics; and Thorlabs. 

Funded for $5,000,000. “Development of Near Real-Time, Multiplexed Diagnostics for Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses”.  National Institute of Health (NIH) & National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). 

Highlighted by multiple science & technology outlets (Physics World, Science Magazine, Microbe World, Infection Control Today, etc..)

"Nanodiagnostic Device Could Help Speed Up Diagnosis of Viral Infection and may aid in the fight againt biowarfare.", Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, (2011). 

"Nanotechnology offers new technique for rapid virus detection", Future Virology, (2011). 

 "Nanohole array show promise for simple detection of Ebola and Marburg viruses" Nanomedicine, (2011).

"Optischer Virenkontrolleur", Physik Journal, January 2011, S. 17 (German). 

A prototype unit is delivered to The United State Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). 

Patent Fiel (PCT/US10/58934), 2010. 

Sub-wavelength Optofluidics & Breaking Mass Transport Limitations

Performances of biosensors & microfluidic devices are often limited by the inefficient analyte transport to the solid surfaces. Optofluidic-plasmonic biosensors enable targeted delivery of analytes to sensing surface to overcome mass transport limitations. Unlike conventional approaches where the analytes simply stream pass over the solid surface, subwavelength nanoholes here act as both nanofluidic channels and nano-biosensors.

Yanik et al. “Integrated Nanoplasmonic-Nanofluidic Biosensors with Targeted Delivery of Analytes”,  Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol 96, 2, 021101 (2010).

Huang & Yanik et al. “Subwavelength Nanofluidics in Photonic Crystal Sensors”, Optics Express, Vol. 17, 24224-24233, (2009). 

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"Cover Article" of January 2010 issue of Applied Physics Letters.

One of the “Top 3 Most Downloaded” Research Articles in Jan. 2010.

Highlighted in “Optofluidic Microsystems for Chemical and Biological Analysis“, Nature Photonics 5, 591 (2011)

"Invited Talk", Ahmet Ali Yanik, Gordon Research Seminar, The Science and Engineering of Nanoscale Optics, Waterville, ME, June 2010.

"Invited Paper" in Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research, Volume 19, Issue 2 (2010).

"Invited Paper" in Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Tech., Volume 21, Issue 4 (2010).

Featured in SPIE Research Focus News.

Naked Eye Detection of Biomarkers & Point-of-Care Diagnostics

State-of-art detection platforms require mechanical and light isolation as well as expensive detection instrumentation for signal transduction. We have recently demonstrated direct  detection of biomarker proteins 'with naked eye" by exploiting strongly dispersive plasmonic Fano resonances and the associated Wood's anomalies. Our ultrasensitive plasmonic biosensor (Plasmonic ELISA) enables direct detection of infectious diseases in resource poor settings by "eliminating" the need for detection instrumentation and labeling.

Yanik et al., "Seeing Biomolecular Monolayers with Naked Eye through Plasmonic Fano Resonances",  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (PNAS), Vol 108, pp. 11784-11789 (2011).

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Highlighted in Journal of Nanotechnology Reviews, "Nanofabricated plasmonic nano-bio hybrid structures in biomedical detection" Vol 1 pp 213–233 (2012). 

“Research Highlights” by Seila Selimovic and Ali Khademhosseini, Lab-on-a-Chip, 11, 3386-3388 (2011).

Featured in Institute of Physics (IOP) Nanotech News and Biomarker & Diagnostic Breakthroughs Aug 4, 2011. 

"Invited Paper" in Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research, Volume 22, Issue 3 (2011).

"Invited Paper" in Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology, Volume 24, Issue 6 (2011).

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