NanoLab: Handheld Diagnostic Laboratory

Speakers: Drew Hall and Rich Gaster, Shan X. Wang Group

Friday, May 22, 12-1 pm, McCullough 115


Abstract

In third world countries, access to medical diagnostic laboratories and well
trained technicians is limited. As a result, the majority of diagnoses in
these regions are based upon patient signs and symptoms. While this method
of patient care is suitable in straightforward situations such as diagnosing
the flu, the vast majority of illnesses cannot be determined by simple
observation. In contrast, in the developed world, medical decision-making is
increasingly based on molecular testing where quantitative detection of
disease-specific proteins in serum and other bodily fluids has become the
basis behind virtually any therapy. Here, we present a technology that will
make it feasible to bring the same diagnostic potential of the developed
world to third world countries or the patient’s home. More specifically, we
have designed a handheld device capable of quantitative multiplex protein
detection in a very simple to use, wash-free assay that is more sensitive
than the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the current gold
standard in protein detection. Due to the ease of use, portability, and low
cost, our platform could have a very broad impact on society ranging from
molecular diagnostics in remote villages in Africa (which lack laboratory
equipment and skilled technicians) to over the counter home diagnostics kits
that can be purchased at your local pharmacy.

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Pizzas will be served.

Speaker - Dr. Seung Min Han
Bio - Dr. Han graduated with Ph.D. from Dr. William Nix’s group in Materials Science and Engineering in 2006, and joined the MSE department as an Acting Assistant Professor since then. Dr. Han is currently also part of Dr. Yi Cui’s group for in-situ TEM nanoindentation of nanosturctures.

Location: McCullough 115
Time: 12:00 noon - 1:00pm
Date: May 08(Friday) – Tomorrow!

Abstract:

As the dimensions of today’s devices become smaller and smaller, understanding the mechanical properties of materials at sub-micron length scales becomes more challenging. The conventional methods for evaluating strengths of materials in bulk form cannot be applied, and new methodologies are required for accurately evaluating mechanical properties of thin films. In this study, the method of microcompression testing, which involves using a focused ion beam to synthesize sub-micron sized pillars and subsequently testing with a flat punch tip of a nanoindenter, is used to evaluate mechanical properties of Al-Al3Sc multilayers with varying bilayer thicknesses from 6-100nm. The measured yield strengths show the trend of increasing strength with decreasing bilayer period, and agree with the nanoindentation hardness results upon applying the suitable Tabor factor correction. The deformation of the Al-Al3Sc pillars at large strains showed strain softening that causes inhomogeneous deformation. A new model was developed to account for the inhomogeneous geometry to calculate the stress-strain in this regime of strain softening. A TEM study of deformed pillar showed shearing and rotation of layering structure that could be responsible for the observed strain softening behavior.

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