Naga Pandurangi successfully defends Doctoral Thesis on bioelectrochemical interfaces
Naga Pandurangi successfully defended his doctoral thesis today, marking an important milestone in the field of bioelectronics and environmental biosensing. The thesis, titled "(BIO)ELECTROCHEMICAL TOOLS FOR INTEGRATION OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS (BIONIC)", was supervised by Dr. Ioanis Katakis and explores innovative methods to connect living cells with electronic systems for real-time toxin detection.
The research presents biocompatible electrochemical interfaces that enable communication between living cells and electrodes. Two biological systems were studied: microalgae for environmental monitoring and neuronal cells for health-related toxin detection.
In one major contribution, Pandarugui developed a cell-based biosensor platform using the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata. By incorporating graphene quantum dots into a conductive polymer matrix, the system achieved direct extracellular electron transfer (DEET) without the need for chemical mediators. The platform showed strong photocurrent responses and proved sensitive to environmental toxins such as heavy metals.
The thesis also introduced a portable biosensor system for neurotoxins, using Neuro-2a neuronal cells grown on transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. This allowed simultaneous electrical recording and optical monitoring of cells. The system successfully detected tetrodotoxin (TTX) in nanomolar concentrations, demonstrating promising applications for public health and safety monitoring.
Overall, the work showcases new bioelectrochemical tools for low-cost, real-time detection of toxic substances, offering practical alternatives to traditional laboratory methods such as patch clamping or high-end analytical chemistry techniques.
The defense highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the project, bridging biotechnology, electrochemistry, materials science, and environmental monitoring.
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