NANOPHOTONICS AND

BIODETECTION SYSTEMS LABORATORY

At the Nanophotonics and Biodetection Systems (NBS) Laboratory, we develop next-generation diagnostic and analytical technologies that integrate:

  • Plasmonic nanostructures

  • Electrochemical biosensors

  • Microfluidics

  • AI-assisted imaging

  • Robotic lab automation

Our research bridges fundamental nanophotonics and translational biomedical engineering, targeting real-world clinical and life-science applications.

AUTOMATED LABORATORY PLATFORMS FOR PRECISION BIOENGINEERING

Modern laboratory automation platforms integrate precision robotics, programmable liquid handling, real-time sensing, and intelligent software control to streamline complex experimental workflows. By minimizing manual intervention, these systems enhance reproducibility, reduce contamination risk, and significantly increase throughput in life science research. Automated platforms enable synchronized execution of sample preparation, reagent dispensing, microfluidic operations, cell handling, imaging, and analytical measurements within a unified digital environment. Through precise motion control and data-driven protocol management, laboratory automation transforms traditionally operator-dependent procedures into standardized, scalable, and highly reliable processes suitable for advanced research and translational biomedical applications.

PLASMONIC HAND-HELD BIOSENSORS FOR FIELD SETTINGS

In the conventional spectrometer-based read-out schemes utilize refractive index sensing, where the presence of the biomolecules is measured by monitoring spectral shifts within the optical response of the plasmonic structures. These platforms can enable analyte sensing i.e., viruses or bacteria, from biological media at clinically relevant concentrations with little to no sample preparation. Multiplexing and high-throughput capability of the biosensors can be improved via integrating large scale and highly dense plasmonic chips to imaging based platforms, i.e., CCD/CMOS cameras. This biosensors can be portable to be employed in the resource-poor settings by integrating plasmonic chip technology with lensfree telemedicine technology. This handheld design can be integrated with portable read-out-devices, e.g., a laptop or a cell-phone, which enables detection of biomolecules with a multiplexed manner in any environment lack of medical infrastructure. This system can also enable parallel detection of different biomolecules with ultra-thin layers as well as quantitative analyses of single-type biomolecules with large variety of concentrations.

PLASMONICS FOR ULTRA-SENSITIVE BIODETECTION

The process of developing biosensors requires fundamental research on plasmonics so that new functionalities can be achieved that are not available with the conventional approaches. We utilize nanoplasmonics to develop ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and sensing technologies for real-time, label-free and high-throughput detection and analysis of very low quantities of biomolecules. In order to achieve large sensitivities, high-quality factor plasmonic structures supporting extremely sharp spectral features are explored, i.e., Fano-interference. High aspect-ratio plasmonic systems utilizing conducting layer could also support more advantageous far- and nearfield responses compared to their conventional counterparts on dielectric substrate. The sensing platforms utilizing these plasmonic structures allows better analyte-field overlap, which leads strong spectroscopy and sensing signals, easily distinguishable by the detectors.

VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY WITH PLASMONICS

Nearfield enhancement capability of nano-antennas could be further improved through new fabrication techniques. For example, plasmonic nanorod antennas realized with a nanostencil lithography technique, where the finite gap between the stencil and the substrate results nm-sized gold nanoparticles around the antennas. These nanoparticles improve the absorption signals by interacting with rectangular antennas within small gap regions. We also introduced a gold nanoring antenna system, standing on silicon nitride nanopedestal. We showed that the highly enhanced nearfields localized along the interface between metal and dielectric layers become accessible, when introducing a nanopedestal underneath. This configuration supports much larger absorption signal enhancements compared to its classical counterparts fabricated directly on a dielectric substrate.