GENERAL SEMINAR: Prof. Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Summary: Point-of-need (PON) sensors have tremendous value in diagnostics (medical and non-medical) in global health and development. Lateral flow assays are the most common PON diagnostic devices, but they lack sensitivity, multiplexing ability, and do not provide quantitative results. In my lab we leverage biomaterial fabrication and CMOS image sensors to build a toolbox for novel biosensor development. Biofabrication of nanocellulose via symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yest is complemented with novel bioreceptors and transducer elements that allow for multiplexed and specific capturing of diagnostic-relevant analytes. Integration of these elements with biomicrofluidic devices and contact-mode CMOS readers will enable quantitative and sensitive detection of analytes of interest at the PON. The technology that is currently developed in my lab will also have an impact into other fields such as wearable sensors, flexible electronics, and neuromorphic devices that aim at integrating functional technologies with biological systems
Biography: Sebastianreceived hisPhD in Experimental Physics from Humboldt University, Germany, in 2000, and subsequently he held research and academic positions at Carnegie-Mellon University (2000-2002), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2002-2007), University of California Davis (2007-2019), and Intellectual Ventures Laboratory (2015-2016). He is currently Professor of Bioengineering (2017-), Louis-Ho Faculty Scholar in Technological Innovation (2021-) at McGill University, Montreal Canada. His research is in the fields of nanobiomaterials, photonics and biophotonics, biosensors and bioelectronics, point-of-need applications, global health, global development. He authored and co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed articles, ~9,700 citations, h-index 46 (Google Scholar), >5 patents, co-founded one startup company. He received research funding from government agencies (NSF, NIH, NSERC, MITACS, CFI, DND) and private entities.