Engineering professors to develop device that detects early-stage disease

Dr. Jiang Zhe

Dr. Christie Zhang

Dr. Jiang Zhe and Dr. Ge Zhang, professors in The University of Akron’s College of Engineering, together with Professor Yong Wang at Pennsylvania State University, were awarded a National Science Foundation collaborative grant of $574,855 (with $394,855 awarded to UA). The grant will fund their research to develop a novel device that will detect various biomarkers, which includes metabolic indicators of health, like cholesterol, white blood cells, and cancer cells.

The device they are developing, called a biosensor, can be used to detect, transmit, and record an individual’s health information. Dr. Zhe and Dr. Zhang’s biosensor is designed to detect biomarkers at ultra-low concentrations (which cannot be detected by current commercially available testing strips). The testing results will be collected digitally and in real-time.

Real-time detection of biomarkers at ultra-low concentration currently is an unmet urgent need to detect early stage disease screening and diagnosis.

“This would be the first biosensor of its kind,” says Dr. Zhe. “Tedious calibrations have been a hassle for biosensors and bio instruments for years. Our research will lead to a biomolecule detection instrument that provides results more efficiently.”

The end goal is for physicians to use the biosensors at clinics to obtain information about their patients’ health and ultimately, prevent the spread of disease through early detection. 

Graduate and undergraduate biomedical and mechanical engineering students will support the work, providing a unique multidisciplinary approach to the research.   

Dr. Zhe, the principal investigator, is a professor with appointments in both the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Biomedical Engineering Department. Co-principal Investigator is Dr. Ge Zhang, associate professor of Biomedical Engineering Department at The University of Akron.