University System of Maryland

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Reza Ghodssi

William E Bentley

Gregory F Payne

Gary W Rubloff

Hyunmin Yi

Li-Qun Wu

Eunkyoung Kim

Rohan Fernandes

Thomas E Winkler

Mariana Tsacoumis Meyer

Deanna L Kelly

Young Wook Kim

Evelyn N Wang

Herman O Sintim

Ryan Enright

Christopher Michael Waits

James N Culver

Douglas Stephen English

Wolfgang Losert

Agisilaos A Iliadis

Tianhong Chen

Matthew McCarthy

George Banis

Varnika Roy

Christopher Kitchen

Jacqueline Smith

David A Small

Mijeong Kang

Konstantinos Gerasopoulos

Jung Jin Park

Mark Joseph Kastantin

Sheng Li

Hadar Ben-Yoav

Mustafa I Beyaz

Theresa Michelle Valentine

Methods are provided that allow global access to redox-based molecular information by coupling electrochemical measurements with signal processing approaches. More specifically, the disclosure provides methods that rely on the use of redox probes to assay samples for redox activities that act to exchange electrons with the probe thereby generating detectable optical and electrochemical signature signals that can then be assigned to a sample feature of interest. In particular embodiments, the disclosed assay methods are useful for diagnosis and prognosis of disorders, such as schizophrenia, that are found to be associated with a specific redox-based signature within a subject sample.

Redox probing for chemical information

A lab on a chip device includes a whole blood inlet port and microchannels to transport a whole blood sample or plasma skimmed from the whole blood sample into a detection chamber that includes at least one 3-electrode set of a counter electrode, a working electrode and a reference electrode. The counter electrode, the working electrode and the reference electrode may present bare, unmodified surfaces that are disposed so that clozapine present in the whole blood sample is detected via a reduction-oxidation reaction. Alternatively, the working electrode surface may include catechol grafted to chitosan. A method of detecting analytes and biomarkers includes collecting a whole blood sample, loading the sample into a point-of-care testing (POCT) device that includes at least one working electrode; testing the sample for the occurrence of a redox reaction; and calculating the total oxidative charge when the working electrode is bare or modified as before.

Analytical micro-devices for mental health treatment monitoring

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) biofilm sensor includes a transmitting electric to acoustic wave transducer defining an upper surface and a lower surface, a receiving acoustic wave to electric transducer defining an upper surface and a lower surface, a piezoelectric film layer defining an upper surface and a lower surface, and a passivation film layer defining an upper surface and a lower surface. Portions of the lower surface of the piezoelectric film layer are disposed on the upper surface of the transmitting electric to acoustic wave transducer and on the upper surface of the receiving acoustic wave to electric transducer, and the lower surface of the passivation film layer is disposed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric film layer such that the upper surface of the passivation film layer is configured to enable contact with a biofilm.

Atomic layer deposition inverted passivated surface acoustic wave sensor for early detection of biofilm growth

Methods and apparatus for forming an electromechanical device are disclosed. In some embodiments, an electromechanical device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a rotor movably disposed in the first and second substrates and having a plurality of first turbine blades disposed on a first side of the rotor and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on a second side of the rotor, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are arranged about a central axis of the rotor, wherein adjacent permanent magnets have opposing magnetic poles; a channel disposed between the first and second substrates and a peripheral edge of the rotor; a plurality of microballs disposed in the channel to provide a bearing for the rotor; a third substrate disposed proximate the second side of the rotor and having a plurality of coils disposed therein such that rotation of the rotor induces current the plurality of coils.

Ball bearing supported electromagnetic microgenerator

Surfaces having a hierarchical structure&#x2014;having features of both microscale and nanoscale dimensions&#x2014;can exhibit superhydrophobic properties and advantageous condensation and heat transfer properties. The hierarchical surfaces can be fabricated using biological nanostructures, such as viruses as a self-assembled nanoscale template.

Superhydrophobic surfaces

Provided are compositions and methods for modulating quorum sensing in microbes. The compounds are AI-2 analogs and as such have structures similar to 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione that can act as agonists/antagonists of quorum sensing. The compounds are useful for modulating quorum sensing in bacteria and can be used in methods for prophylaxis or therapy of bacterial infections and for reduction of biofilms.

Phosphorylated and branched dihydroxy-pentane-dione (DPD) analogs as quorum sensing inhibitors in bacteria

A method is provided for electrochemically depositing a polysaccharide mass having a selected physical state. According to an embodiment, an electrically conductive support of a substrate is contacted with an aqueous solution including a selectively insolubilizable polysaccharide, and the selectively insolubilizable polysaccharide is electrochemically deposited on the electrically conductive support while controlling deposition conditions to form the polysaccharide mass having the selected physical state, such as that of a hydrogel. Deposition may be performed in a spatially and/or temporally controlled manner. 

Controlled electrochemical deposition of polysaccharide films and hydrogels, and materials formed therefrom

A method for biolithographical deposition of molecules is provided. According to an embodiment of the method, a reactive layer (e.g., a polysaccharide mass) having a surface region coated with a biologically compatible resist is provided. A portion of the biologically compatible resist is selectively removed to expose an exposed portion of the reactive layer. Molecules, such as biomolecules and/or cellular species, are then conjugated to the exposed portion of the reactive layer. Also provided are materials and devices related to the method.

Biolithographical deposition and materials and devices formed therefrom

A method is provided for electrochemically depositing a polymer with spatial selectivity. A substrate having a substrate surface is contacted with an aqueous solution containing a selectively insolubilizable polysaccharide, such as chitosan, which is subjected to electrochemically treatment to deposit, with spatial selectivity, the selectively insolubilizable polysaccharide on a patterned electrically conductive portion of the substrate surface.

Spatially selective deposition of polysaccharide layer onto patterned template

A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device is provided, along with means for its fabrication and operation for microfluidic and/or biomicrofluidic applications. The MEMS device includes a substrate, optional electrodes on the substrate, a patterned structure on the substrate, the patterned structure having a fluidic microchannel aligned with one or more of the optional electrodes, an encapsulation membrane covering the microchannel, and an optional reactive layer deposited over the electrode in the microchannel. MEMS devices of preferred embodiments permit a leak-tight seal to be formed around the microchannel and fluidic interconnects established for robust operation of fluidics-based processes. MEMS devices of other preferred embodiments permit reversible attachment and separation of the encapsulation membrane relative to the patterned structure.

Fabrication and integration of polymeric bioMEMS

Growing community of inventors

Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

Reza Ghodssi