The Distinguished Lecture on “Renovating the Tip Optofluidic Immunoassay: Empowered by Synthetic Biology Tools” will take place as follows:
Date: 20 November 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:30 – 16:00
Venue: Research Building N21, 3004
The speaker is:
Prof. TAN Xiaotian, Associate Professor, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Lecture is:
Renovating the Tip Optofluidic Immunoassay: Empowered by Synthetic Biology Tools
Abstract:
Infectious diseases like COVID-19 continue to pose significant threats to global health. Effective management of reinfections relies on maintaining high levels of circulating binding and neutralizing antibodies, as well as robust T-cell memory. Traditional methods for evaluating immune protection—such as ELISA, are hindered by complex sample preparation, lengthy assay times, and substantial sample requirements, limiting their applicability for timely and routine disease control. To address these challenges, we have developed the Tip Optofluidic Immunoassay (TOI), which combines industrial grade microfabricated immunoreactors with a portable chemiluminescent imaging station. To more accurately simulate neutralization activity against recent SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro, we designed protein probes—including trimeric Spike-ECD-AviTag and hACE2-Fc—using synthetic biology approaches and enhanced our previously developed Rapid In-Vitro Inhibition Assay (RIVIA). Leveraging these advancements, TOI efficiently quantifies SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralizing antibodies, offering a dynamic range spanning 3–4 orders of magnitude, an exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio (~10,000), and high sensitivity. Using just 1 µL of fingertip blood, TOI assesses antibody protection across multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains from binding, affinity, and neutralization perspectives. The precision, efficiency, and minimal sample requirement of TOI make it a valuable tool for decentralized surveillance and infectious disease risk prediction.
Biography:
Prof. TAN Xiaotian, Associate Professor at the Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Prof. TAN also serves as the Assistant Director of the Intelligent Sensing Research Center at SIAT. Prof. TAN received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2020 and continued as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan from 2020 to 2021. His primary research focus is the development of novel optofluidic biomolecular sensors. Prof. TAN has published 28 papers in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature BME, ACS Sensors, Analytical Chemistry, Lab on a Chip, and Biosensors and Bioelectronics, with 7 of these as the first author or co-first author. He has presented at international academic conferences like SPIE Photonic West, Pittcon, BMES, and GRC more than 10 times as speakers and has applied for 5 invention patents.
For more details, kindly find the event poster, abstract and bio.
