Soren Smail, 2nd year Interdisciplinary Materials Science graduate student in the Weiss and Laibinis labs
In the past few years, the need for rapid and sensitive point-of-care diagnostics has become readily apparent, especially for monitoring and controlling viral transmissions. Optical biosensing is a promising alternative to widely used diagnostic techniques because it can be highly sensitive and quantitative, while still having low-cost operation and broad accessibility. Porous silicon (PSi) has been demonstrated as a highly promising and versatile optical biosensing platform, but it faces the challenge of zero-point drift due to corrosion of PSi in aqueous solutions. By exploring different surface chemistries to robustly passivate the surface, my research aims to develop a point-of-care PSi-based biosensor with a stable baseline for detecting low concentrations of molecules ranging from disease biomarkers to environmental contaminants.
VINSE has been a crucial resource in my research. I use the VINSE cleanroom to fabricate PSi samples, and I use the Analytical and Imaging cores to characterize my samples. The quality and breadth of the VINSE facilities has been a major asset to my research, and the staff has been incredibly knowledgeable and has helped advance my PSi optical biosensor project.
Outside of research, I enjoy participating in VINSE’s immersive education and STEM outreach programs, including the Nanoscale Innovation & Making class, blackberry solar cell high school field trips, and the Vanderbilt Summer Academy course in Nanoscience and Engineering.
I extend my thanks to the VINSE community for providing a collaborative environment at the forefront of exciting research areas.
Contact: Soren Smail