Silva - Sensors and Biosensors, DNA based biosensors, protein based biosensors, point-of-care biosensors, antifouling coatings, drug delivery systems, nanotechnology
La Sense Research Group
Our research group is highly interdisciplinary and strongly focuses on translational research. We build new smart materials and interfaces for application in point-of-use sensors and biosensors to detect molecules of biological, medical, and environmental interest. Some of our activities involve the design, engineering, and characterization of new electrochemical sensor materials. A major goal is to develop biosensors that can detect multiple biomolecules simultaneously directly on-the-spot, where the measurement needs to be done, without sample pretreatment. Currently, a variety of projects are underway that focus on the development of biomolecular sensors for disease diagnostics. We also work closely with key industry partners in the biosensors and diagnostic fields, creating hence a pathway to the translation of new technologies.
Research areas
Point-of-care biosensors for cancer diagnostics and monitoring
Blood-based cancer biomarkers represent a range of promising diagnostic analytes for the early detection and surveillance of cancer. Current detection approaches involving serology protein-based assays and circulating tumour DNA tests rely upon an intravenous blood draw, sample processing, and testing requiring a specialized laboratory setting. This project aims to advance the development of next-generation cancer biomarker detection for on-spot detection of cancer analytes using rapid and inexpensive portable electrochemical biosensors. This is expected to provide significant benefits for cancer patients, especially in remote locations, where surveillance methods can be limited and expensive for early detection of cancer and monitoring of disease recurrence during treatment.
Chemical contaminated water: biosensors for rapid, on-the-spot detection
This project aims to develop a versatile biosensor system for rapid on-site detection and monitoring of toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in contaminated waterways. PFAS are also known as the ‘forever chemicals’ and have become a major environmental pollutant that threatens human and ecological health; in Australia PFAS contamination is prevalent in both urban and rural areas, and all Australians are expected to have detectable levels of toxic PFAS in their blood. Current conventional PFAS detection methods rely on sample collection and transport to a centralized laboratory, which is expensive and time-consuming. Thus, there is a need for low-cost portable sensors for the on-spot monitoring of PFAS. In order to achieve specific molecular recognition for PFAS detection, this project will employ protein-based surface chemistries, where fatty-acid binding proteins will be used as the PFAS recognition elements. The produced electrode surfaces will be fully characterized and analytically challenged in ‘real-world’ contaminated water samples.
Multiplexed sensors
The ability to simultaneously and precisely detect multiple target analytes in biological samples is a high-reward goal of analytical sensors. Multiplexing capability is necessary for improving diagnostic effectiveness, improving the diagnostic precision for given diseases, and lowering associated costs with diagnoses and disease management. For example, in the case of cancer, most cancers present biomarkers in common with other cancers, thus detection of multiple biomarkers is required for the precise distinction of cancer types and/or location. Therefore, this project seeks to develop new electrochemical sensing platforms for the direct and simultaneous detection of multiple disease biomarkers in high-fouling biological media, for example, blood plasma or whole blood.
