Presenter: Sara Zachariah, Chemical Engineering, Global Public Health Scholars
Over the summer, I worked in a biotechnology and biomolecular research lab, developing sensors that are to be used in medical devices. The project I was assigned focused on the creation of a sensor that could detect a certain antibody that is present in humans when liver failure begins to occur. The key component of these detectors is the use of carbon nanotubes, a sheet of carbon atoms in a honeycomb pattern rolled into a cylinder. Throughout these microscopic tubes, free electrons move, creating a current that can be measure. Based on a planned scientific procedure, I attached certain antigens to these carbon nanotubes. The sensor is established when antibodies from a human sample attaches to the antigens and changes the current inside the tube, which is then measured. These nanotubes are mixed into a solvent to create an ink. I made multiple ink batches, all with different concentrations of nanocarbon tubes. I specifically tested different experimental conditions to optimize the efficiency of the sensors.