Daniel Lookadoo

Multi-Electrode Chip Prototype for Electrochemical Biosensing

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project is based at StataDX, a company in Boston University Photonics Center’s business incubation facility. StataDX is a medical diagnostics company focused on providing patient-centric technologies to enable earlier diagnosis of neurological conditions and support individualized therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. The StataDX digitally-enabled, handheld device helps drive existing, or establish new, therapies via remote monitoring of biomarkers and digital health. The sensing platform uses cyclic voltammetry and other electrochemical techniques to selectively detect protein biomarkers captured by antibodies that are coupled to a nano-composite coating on the electrode surface. The goal of this project will be to develop an electrode chip for detecting neurofilament protein markers for Multiple Sclerosis. Researchers working on this project will learn about the application of protein biomarkers for neurological conditions and some of the interdisciplinary challenges associated with developing near-patient diagnostics.

LABORATORY MENTOR
Daniel Lookadoo

RESEARCH GOALS
– Design, prototype and characterize an electrode chip
– Optimize the design for the electrochemical detection of biomarkers
– Develop methods for analyzing cyclic voltammograms using the prototype

LEARNING GOALS
– Learn about the design and fabrication of electrode chips
– Learn about the design and chemistry of electrochemical biosensors
– Learn about cyclic voltammetry and tools for data analysis