ECE Seminar: Integrated Micro- and Nanosystems for Biosensing, Neural Therapy, and Nanotoxicity
Presenter: Dr. Ke Du, Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside
Description: Miniaturized micro- and nanofluidic systems, integrated with biochemistry, microscopy, nanomaterials, and computer vision algorithms, provide powerful platforms for diverse biomedical applications, including molecular diagnostics, biophysics, and optogenetics. In this presentation, we introduce a pneumatically controlled nano-sieve device with nanolithography-defined microstructures designed to enhance target capture efficiency in bodily fluids. This system incorporates sheath flow configurations, surface-enhanced Raman probes, and CRISPR reactions for the sensitive and multiplexed detection of drug-resistant bacteria in nanoconfined environments. We also highlight our recent advancements in implantable devices for adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery and the treatment of neurological disorders in mouse models. These devices, fabricated via high-resolution 3D printing, utilize total internal reflection at the liquid–air–microstructure interface to efficiently stimulate neurons. Finally, we integrate experimental approaches with molecular dynamics simulations to study the interactions between arbitrary nanoparticles and living cells—advancing our understanding of nanotoxicity and guiding the design of next-generation drug delivery systems.
Bio: Dr. Ke Du is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Riverside. He established his independent research lab in 2018 following postdoctoral training with Richard Mathies at the University of California, Berkeley, and Holger Schmidt at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research team focuses on molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases such as sepsis, in vivo bioimaging, and nanotoxicology. Dr. Du has received numerous honors, including the EIPBN Inaugural Early Career Award (2024) and the NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (2021). He was recognized as an Emerging Investigator by Lab on a Chip (2024) and Nanoscale (2025), and named a Global Rising Star in Sensing by ACS Sensors. His research is supported by federal agencies and industry partners, including NIH NIGMS, NIH NIAID, NSF CBET, NSF CMMI, USDA, DOE, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Mammoth Biosciences, and Biological Mimetics. Beyond his research activities, Dr. Du serves as an Early Career Editorial Advisory Board member for Biomicrofluidics (AIP Publishing) and Sensors and Actuators Reports (Elsevier).
Hosted by: Professor Soumya Bose, ECE Department
Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97975378707?pwd=ljcgaCfhMmhZ88Vt5dqQUBVQRjehOx.1
