Research BIOsem group
The work in Andreescu - BIOsem lab brings together chemists, physists and materials engineers to develop new sensing technologies with enhanced measurement capabilities and generate scientific and technological advances to improve the quality of human life and environment.
Oxidative stress
Our group works to develop different types of implantable microelectrodes which allow us to measure relevant neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, nitric oxide (John Njagi PhD'09, Emrah Ozel PhD'14, Eduard Dumitrescu PhD'19, Emily DeVoe), glutamate, lactate, superoxide (Malli Ganesana PhD'12, Aaditya Deshpande PhD'23) in zebrafish embryos, brain slice or animal models, and the real time detection of ROS/RNS species and pathogenic bacteria (Xiaobo Liu, PhD'17)
Environment
The environment related research in our group is targeting all the major directions: (i) analysis by developing new sensing platforms for pollutants investigation: phenols, heavy metals, PFASs, etc. (Ramiz Alkasir, PhD '15, Farideh Narouei PhD '20, Kevin Kirk PhD'20, Reem Khan PhD'24, (ii) impact evaluation by monitoring the interactions, evolution and transport of pollutants through environment (Cristina Ispas PhD'10, Ana Karimi, PhD'17), and (iii) remediation by designing new materials for pollutants removal (Matt Ravalli, MS'09, Abraham Finny, PhD'22, Mohamed Hassan PhD'23).
Health
We strive to design new sensing wearable materials compatible with wireless technology with applicability in health awareness by: UV exposure (Abraham Finny, PhD'22), motion behavior with pressure-triggered materials (Mohamed Hassan, PhD'23), ethanol consumption (Fatima Mustafa PhD'21) or insulin resistance (Maryam Awan).
Smart food packaging
Our team works to create an innovative path to tackle one of the most stringent worldwide problem, the food waste. Creating a smart food package that incorporated intelligent sensors sensitive to chemicals and gases released during the spoilage process (Fatima Mustafa, PhD'21, Tosin Popoola), the shelf life of the food can be predicted more accurate.
Products authentication
The boom sales of consumer care products and beverages, especially from online unverified providers, opened the possibility for dangerous counterfeit or adulterated products to be introduced into the market. Envisioning the harmfulness of those products, in BIOsem group, we have experimented the printing of smart labels with sensing /code reading capability to authenticate some cosmetic products (Ali Othman, PhD'19), or beverages (Erica Sharpe PhD'14).
