Design and development of dielectrophoretic point-of-care devices for amplification free detection of disease biomarkers

Point-of-care (POC) platforms are rapidly emerging as a portable and inexpensive alternative to the traditional laboratory based analytical methods. This is especially true for diagnostic applications in resource limited areas. These platforms are easy to deploy with less or no professional training and offers quicker results at an affordable cost. Hence they are critical for various global healthcare programs especially in cases where rapid medical decisions are needed.

This project aims to develop next generation POC devices for amplification free detection of disease biomarkers. We have recently developed a dielectrophoretic (DEP) device to concentrate analyte molecules from very dilute solutions to a region of interest for detecting ultra-diluted (pM-fM) analytes without the need of any sample pre-concentration or amplification. Additionally, DEP has been widely demonstrated to permit the selective concentration of analytes of interest by tuning the parameters and device architecture. We aim to integrate this technology to the POC devices to effectively enable reagent-free analyte concentration for simplified high-throughput analysis.

Duration: 36 - 48 months full-time

Eligibility: Candidates should possess an MChem or equivalent degree at upper second class or better or BSc Hons at first class in a relevant subject such as chemistry, bioscience, physics, biomedical science. University of Strathclyde is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive postgraduate research population, and where independent research experience, professional and life experience is demonstrated, applicants with a lower degree classification will be considered.

Please contact Dr Binoy Paulose (binoy.paulose@strath.ac.uk) for further information on the project and formal application process