Bioelectronics is a rapidly growing field where cells and synthetic materials are integrated to generate useful biotechnologies that have the potential to transform every aspect of society. This topic connects research strengths at Rice University ranging from materials science and synthetic biology to psychology and the study of team science. On average, our trainees develop 60 original team research ideas during their first year in the program, some of which are refined into team research proposals. Since 2019, the Bioelectronics NRT has supported the following student-led interdisciplinary team research projects:
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Identification of GFAP-specific sequences via phage display for use in sensitive SERS lateral flow assay for GFAP detection
Team: Tasfia Azim, Sunny Niu, and Mathieu Simeral -
Magnetic Colloidal Assembly of Au-coated, Magnetic Particles for Ultra-Sensitive, Reproducible SERS-Active Arrays
Team: Dana Lobmeyer and Mathieu Simeral -
Smart COF Composite Nanocarriers for Controlled Delivery of CRISPR-Cas Systems
Team: Jacob Goell and Jessica Gayle -
Biosensing Acupuncture Needles for Health Diagnostics
Team: Christine Nguyen, Alix Macklin, Manwal Harb -
Developing a tunable electroactive probiotic consortium that can sense and response to environment
Team: Siliang Li and August Staubus -
Inducing broad range mobilization with multiple origin of transfer variants on a single plasmid
Team: Cole Grandel, Zach LaTurner, Kiara Reyes Gamas -
Hydrogel beads as reservoirs of donor bacteria for delivery of plasmids to microbial communities
Team: Zach LaTurner, Christian Schreib, August Staubus, Cole Grandel, Kiara Reyes Gamas -
M&Ms on a Chip: Mammalian-Microbial Sensor in a Microfluidic Environment
Team: Manwal Harb, Cole Grandel, Albert Truong, Matt Carpenter -
You can do EET: Switchable outer membrane cytochrome for fast electrobiosensors with increased ligand diversity
Team: August Staubus, Albert Truong, Matt Carpenter -
Developing aluminum nanocrystals for direct interspecies electron transfer in anaerobic digesters
Team: Zach LaTurner, Matt Carpenter, Corbin Farr -
Engineering voltage-gated EET through Ca2+-mediated assembly of split ferredoxin
Team: Matt Carpenter, Albert Truong, John Her