The Micro-Nano Innovation Lab ("mini lab") investigates multidisciplinary approaches to develop new intelligent sensing and robotic strategies in micro/nano scales.
What we do
The Micro-Nano Innovation Lab ("mini lab") investigates multidisciplinary approaches to develop new intelligent sensing and robotic strategies in micro/nano scales. We study nanotechnology, light-matter interactions, micro-particle dynamics, microscale fluid dynamics, and bioengineering to reach our goal. The research involves the design and manufacture of micro/nano systems for diagnostics (e.g. infections, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases) and microscopic therapies/surgeries (e.g. localised drug delivery, novel minimally invasive procedures).
Why it is important?
Timely identification of illnesses, less intrusive interventions, and precise/personalised treatments in challenging areas within our bodies, like narrow blood vessels, are essential technologies for improved healthcare management. The foundation for empowering these technologies lies in the development of devices capable of sensitively detecting disruptions in microenvironments that impact normal physiology and of precisely addressing these issues via targeted drug delivery, surgery, etc. at the cellular and molecular levels (micro/nano scales). Understanding the pathophysiology and engineering of the designs and functionalities of such devices accordingly is, thus, vital to enhancing current medical technology. Also, this has the potential to drive the development of advanced medical micro-robots with integrated sensing and therapeutic capabilities, offering new opportunities for future advancements in healthcare.
How can it benefit patients?
Early detection of diseases followed by minimally invasive, targeted and personalised therapy can have evident advantages for patients in terms of prognosis, health management, and economic implications. First, it can reduce excessive physical and biochemical alterations to the microenvironments, e.g., scarring after resection, antimicrobial resistance after antibiotics administration, etc., offering a better prognosis with fewer side effects. Micro/nanodevices can also be engineered to be implantable, enabling long-term health monitoring and treatment. Finally, the localised and precise manner of the technology allows efficient planning of the optimal procedures and accurate dosage, resulting in reduced cost.
Meet the team
Mr Seungyeop Kang
Mr Seungyeop Kang
Research Postgraduate
Dr Jang Ah Kim
Dr Jang Ah Kim
Lecturer
Mr Louis Quaire--Merlin
Mr Louis Quaire--Merlin
Research Postgraduate
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Journal articleCallens SJP, Burdis R, Cihova M, et al., 2024,
GEOMETRIC CONTROL OF BONE TISSUE GROWTH AND ORGANIZATION
, Orthopaedic Proceedings, Vol: 106-B, Pages: 65-65, ISSN: 1358-992X<jats:p>Cells typically respond to a variety of geometrical cues in their environment, ranging from nanoscale surface topography to mesoscale surface curvature. The ability to control cellular organisation and fate by engineering the shape of the extracellular milieu offers exciting opportunities within tissue engineering. Despite great progress, however, many questions regarding geometry-driven tissue growth remain unanswered.</jats:p><jats:p>Here, we combine mathematical surface design, high-resolution microfabrication, in vitro cell culture, and image-based characterization to study spatiotemporal cell patterning and bone tissue formation in geometrically complex environments. Using concepts from differential geometry, we rationally designed a library of complex mesostructured substrates (10<jats:sup>1</jats:sup>-10<jats:sup>3</jats:sup> µm). These substrates were accurately fabricated using a combination of two-photon polymerisation and replica moulding, followed by surface functionalisation. Subsequently, different cell types (preosteoblasts, fibroblasts, mesenchymal stromal cells) were cultured on the substrates for varying times and under varying osteogenic conditions. Using imaging-based methods, such as fluorescent confocal microscopy and second harmonic generation imaging, as well as quantitative image processing, we were able to study early-stage spatiotemporal cell patterning and late-stage extracellular matrix organisation. Our results demonstrate clear geometry-dependent cell patterning, with cells generally avoiding convex regions in favour of concave domains. Moreover, the formation of multicellular bridges and collective curvature-dependent cell orientation could be observed. At longer time points, we found clear and robust geometry-driven orientation of the collagenous extracellular matrix, which became apparent with second harmonic generation imaging after ∼2 weeks of culture.</jats:p><j
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Journal articleKim JA, Hou Y, Keshavarz M, et al., 2023,
Characterization of bacteria swarming effect under plasmonic optical fiber illumination
, Journal of Biomedical Optics, Vol: 28, Pages: 1-15, ISSN: 1083-3668SignificancePlasmo-thermo-electrophoresis (PTEP) involves using plasmonic microstructures to generate both a large-scale convection current and a near-field attraction force (thermo-electrophoresis). These effects facilitate the collective locomotion (i.e., swarming) of microscale particles in suspension, which can be utilized for numerous applications, such as particle/cell manipulation and targeted drug delivery. However, to date, PTEP for ensemble manipulation has not been well characterized, meaning its potential is yet to be realized.AimOur study aims to provide a characterization of PTEP on the motion and swarming effect of various particles and bacterial cells to allow rational design for bacteria-based microrobots and drug delivery applications.ApproachPlasmonic optical fibers (POFs) were fabricated using two-photon polymerization. The particle motion and swarming behavior near the tips of optical fibers were characterized by image-based particle tracking and analyzing the spatiotemporal concentration variation. These results were further correlated with the shape and surface charge of the particles defined by the zeta potential.ResultsThe PTEP demonstrated a drag force ranging from a few hundred fN to a few tens of pN using the POFs. Furthermore, bacteria with the greater (negative) zeta potential ( | ζ | > 10 mV) and smoother shape (e.g., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli) exhibited the greatest swarming behavior.ConclusionsThe characterization of PTEP-based bacteria swarming behavior investigated in our study can help predict the expected swarming behavior of given particles/bacterial cells. As such, this may aid in realizing the potential of PTEP in the wide-ranging applications highlighted above.
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Conference paperCallens S, Cihova M, Kim JA, et al., 2023,
Guiding engineered bone tissue growth using mesostructured surfaces of defined geometry
, European Chapter of the Tissue-Engineering-and-Regenerative-Medicine-International-Society (TERMIS), Publisher: MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC, ISSN: 1937-3341 -
Book chapterSaini N, Pandey P, Wankar S, et al., 2023,
Carbon Nanomaterial-Based Biosensors: A Forthcoming Future for Clinical Diagnostics
, Materials Horizons: From Nature to Nanomaterials, Pages: 1067-1089Advancements in various scientific domains such as genetics, bioinformatics, immunology, medicines, and computational analysis have a colossal impact for the evolution of diagnostics/sensing platforms. These advances contribute towards enhanced reliability, economic, quicker, and patient centric/compliant sensing platforms; for ultrasensitive diagnosis of non-communicable diseases (cancer, cardiovascular ailments are few). According to WHO report, comprehensive containment/control of non-communicable diseases must be executed effectively. The key to achieve this would be enhanced accessibility to early diagnosis. The attributes of an ideal diagnostics set apart by WHO are affordable, sensitive, user-friendly, rapid, and robust use, equipment free, delivered to the needy. These qualities are easier to meet with biosensor devices. With these significant qualities and miniaturization, demand of biosensor production has ramped up during the last decade. As biosensors provide minimal invasion, thus are suitable to enhance successful treatment and patient survival. Conversely, carbon element possesses diverse properties at nanoscale, rendering it expedient for fabrication into biosensors, and thus, the carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotube are used as elite nanomaterials in healthcare-associated biosensors. In this chapter, we described the biosensors as physical biosensors with primary focus on optical biosensors such as surface plasmon resonance-based biosensors and surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based biosensors and chemical biosensors with electrochemical biosensors in details and their role in disease identification, over the past years. The primary impetus of this chapter is to focus upon carbon nanomaterial-based optical and electrochemical biosensors. In addition, the role of carbon nanomaterial in future generation of biosensors evolution is described briefly.
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Journal articleKim J, Yeatman E, Thompson A, 2021,
Plasmonic optical fiber for bacteria manipulation—characterization and visualization of accumulation behavior under plasmo-thermal trapping
, Biomedical Optics Express, Vol: 12, Pages: 3917-3933, ISSN: 2156-7085In this article, we demonstrate a plasmo-thermal bacterial accumulation effect usinga miniature plasmonic optical fiber. Combined action of far-field convection and a near-fieldtrapping force (referred to as thermophoresis)—induced by highly localized plasmonicheating—enabled large-area accumulation of Escherichia coli. The estimated thermophoretictrapping force agreed with previous reports, and we applied speckle imaging analysis to mapthe in-plane bacterial velocities over large areas. This is the first time that spatial mapping ofbacterial velocities has been achieved in this setting. Thus, this analysis technique providesopportunities to better understand this phenomenon and to drive it towards in vivo applications.
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Journal articleKim JA, Wales DJ, Yang G-Z, 2020,
Optical spectroscopy for in vivo medical diagnosis-a review of the state of the art and future perspectives
, Progress in Biomedical Engineering, Vol: 2, ISSN: 2516-1091When light is incident to a biological tissue surface, combinations of optical processes occur, such as reflection, absorption, elastic and non-elastic scattering, and fluorescence. Analysis of these light interactions with the tissue provides insight into the metabolic and pathological state of the tissue. Furthermore, in vivo diagnosis of diseases using optical spectroscopy enables in situ rapid clinical decisions without invasive biopsies. For in vivo scenarios, incident light can be delivered in a highly localized manner to tissue via optical fibers, which are placed within the working channels of minimally invasive clinical tools, such as endoscopes. There has been extensive development in the accuracy and specificity of these optical spectroscopy techniques since the earliest in vivo examples were published in the academic literature in the early '90s, and there are now commercially available systems that have undergone medical and clinical trials. In this review, several types of optical spectroscopy techniques (elastic optical scattering spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and multimodal spectroscopy) for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases states of tissue in an in vivo setting are introduced and explored. Examples of the latest and most impactful works for each technique are then critically reviewed. Finally, current challenges and unmet clinical needs are discussed, followed by future opportunities, such as point-based spectroscopies for robot-guided surgical interventions.
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Journal articleKassanos P, Berthelot M, Kim JA, et al., 2020,
Smart sensing for surgery from tethered devices to wearables and implantables
, IEEE Systems Man and Cybernetics Magazine, Vol: 6, Pages: 39-48, ISSN: 2333-942XRecent developments in wearable electronics have fueled research into new materials, sensors, and microelectronic technologies for the realization of devices that have increased functionality and performance. This is further enhanced by advances in fabr ication methods and printing techniques, stimulating research on implantables and the advancement of existing medical devices. This article provides an overview of new designs, embodiments, fabrication methods, instrumentation, and informatics as well as the challenges in developing and deploying such devices and clinical applications that can benefit from them. The need for and use of these technologies across the perioperative surgical-care pathway are highlighted, along with a vision for the future and how these tools can be adopted by potential end users and health-care systems.
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Journal articleKim JA, Wales D, Thompson A, et al., 2020,
Fiber-optic SERS probes fabricated using two-photon polymerization for rapid detection of bacteria
, Advanced Optical Materials, Vol: 8, Pages: 1-12, ISSN: 2195-1071This study presents a novel fiber-optic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe (SERS-on-a-tip) fabricated using a simple, two-step protocol based on off-the-shelf components and materials, with a high degree of controllability and repeatability. Two-photon polymerization and subsequent metallization was adopted to fabricate a range of SERS arrays on both planar substrates and end-facets of optical fibers. For the SERS-on-a-tip probes, a limit of detection of 10-7 M (Rhodamine 6G) and analytical enhancement factors of up to 1300 were obtained by optimizing the design, geometry and alignment of the SERS arrays on the tip of the optical fiber. Furthermore, strong repeatability and consistency were achieved for the fabricated SERS arrays, demonstrating that the technique may be suitable for large-scale fabrication procedures in the future. Finally, rapid SERS detection of live Escherichia coli cells was demonstrated using integration times in the milliseconds to seconds range. This result indicates strong potential for in vivo diagnostic use, particularly for detection of infections. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of detection of live, unlabeled bacteria using a fiber-optic SERS probe.
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Conference paperKim JA, Wales DJ, Thompson AJ, et al., 2019,
Towards development of fibre-optic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy probes using 2-photon polymerisation for rapid detection of bacteria
, Plasmonics in Biology and Medicine XVI, Publisher: SPIE, ISSN: 0277-786XIn this study, a variety of direct laser written surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) micro-structures, designed for bacteria detection, are presented. Various SERS micro-structures were designed to achieve both a high density of plasmonic hot spots and a strong probability of interaction between the hot spots and the target bacterial cells. Twophoton polymerization was used for initial fabrication of the polymeric skeletons of the SERS micro-structures, which were then coated with a 50 nm-thick gold layer via e-beam evaporation. The micro-structures were fabricated on glass coverslips and were assessed using a confocal Raman microscope. To this end, Rhodamine 6G was used as an analyte under 785 nm laser illumination. The optimal SERS micro-structures showed approximately 7×103 enhancement in Raman signal (analytical enhancement factor, AEF) at a wavenumber of 600 cm-1. Real-time detection of E. coli in solution was demonstrated using the fabricated SERS platform with low laser powers and a short acquisition time (785 nm, 5 mW, 50 ms).
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Journal articleDugasani SR, Paulson B, Ha T, et al., 2018,
Fabrication and optoelectronic characterisation of lanthanide-and metal-ion-doped DNA thin films
, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS, Vol: 51, ISSN: 0022-3727
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