Biomimetic 'Soft' Sensors

Project Details

This project has two streams with investigations conducted  using impedance spectroscopy, electrochemistry, spectroscopic and surface characterisation techniques.

1. Biomembranes of variable complexity are built at a liquid-liquid interface and used for the study of drug delivery, lipophilicity, chiral interactions, receptor interactions and bio-sensing. The experimental set-up is simple and portable and can be performed at micro interfaces requiring minimal sample. The target protein /receptor can be incorporated in the biomembrane and the interactions of the drugs and bioactive molecules monitored quantitatively.
2. 'Soft' implantable sensor materials are developed using liposomes/ polymersomes/whole cells incorporated in hydrogels.

Contact: Dr Ritu Kataky

Publications

1. P., Lopes, R., Kataky.  "Chiral interactions of the drug propranolol and α1-acid-glycoprotein at a micro liquid-liquid interface."  Anal. Chem., 2012, 84(5), 299-304.

2. R., Campos, R., Kataky. "Electron Transport in Supported and Tethered Lipid Bilayers Modified with Bioelectroactive Molecules".  Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2012 116(13), 3909-3917.

3. A. Suri, R. Campos,  D. G. Rackus, N. J. S. Spillera, C. Richardson, L-O. Pålsson and R. Kataky, "A Liposome-doped hydrogel for implantable applications."  Soft Matter, 2011, 7 (15), 7071 - 7077.

4. F. A. Aguiar, R. Campos, C. Wang, R. Jitchati, A. S. Batsanov, M. R. Bryce and R. Kataky., "Voltage and structure dependent self-assembly and electron-transfer properties of rigid rod molecular wires."  PCCP., 2010,12 (44),14804-14811.