Sensing analytes from biological media using transistors

Silicon transistors are the most manufactured good in the human history. They are the brains of every digital and analog technology today including artificial intelligence, electric cars, smartphones, and space shuttles.

In research laboratories, new photovoltaic materials are monitored over long periods of time under constant light illumination to test their stability. However, in the real-world, constant illumination does not occur as the earth rotates around the sun giving diurnal light cycles.

With climate change becoming a certainty in the short to medium term, controlled environment agriculture will play a larger role in the production of fruit and vegetables. In such greenhouses, being able to monitor and control the environment is of upmost importance to best optimise the plants’ growth. One such parameter is the “Vapour-pressure deficit” (VPD) of the environment.

At Robotics, Intelligent Systems, and Control (RISC) Lab, we design and build a team of underwater robots that can autonomously navigate and perform manipulation tasks in subsea environments. Applications of the underwater robotic systems include underwater environmental monitoring/preservation and data/sample collection among others.

The objective here is to develop measurement electronics that can be utilized to measure very low amplitude signals. These are very typical in IoT applications for future cities.

Vibration results in wear and tear of equipment. The aim of this project is to develop a vibration measurement system using sensors and camera footage. This would be applied to electric machines to diagnose bearing conditions.

The students will develop a biosensor for the eraly detection of heart attacks. The work will include flexible sensors and clean room fabrication. Knowledge of electrochemistry, material science and electronics is desired.