Paper 13112-8
Paper 13112-8
Optical nanotweezers for biomedical and environmental science (Invited Paper)
18 August 2024 • 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs), once considered as a means for cells to expel wastes, are now recognized as vital mediators of cell-to-cell communication. They transport essential molecules like mRNA, miRNA, proteins, and lipids, facilitating both local and long-distance signaling. However, their diverse origins and sizes pose a challenge for understanding their roles in health and disease. Traditional optical tweezers face limitations due to the small size of EVPs and the diffraction limit of light. In this discussion, I will introduce innovative optical nanotweezers utilizing plasmonic and dielectric nanoantennas to rapidly trap and analyze single EVPs, overcoming previous obstacles. These novel non-invasive light-based tools with multifunctional capabilities are expected to open new horizons by enabling to address fundamental questions in EVP biology and drive translational applications in novel therapeutics, as well as environmental monitoring.
Presenter
Vanderbilt Univ. (United States)
Prof. Justus Ndukaife, is an accomplished researcher, educator, and innovator in Optics and Nanophotonics, with emphasis on optical nanotweezers. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, USA. His research focuses on optical nanotweezers, leveraging nanophotonics technologies including plasmonics and metasurfaces for single extracellular vesicle analysis, environmental analysis, and enhancement of on-chip quantum light sources. He has authored impactful papers in prestigious journals including Nature Nanotechnology, PRL, Nature Communications,Science, etc and holds seven US patents. He is recognized with several awards including NIH MIRA R35 Outstanding Investigator Award, Office of Naval Research YIP Award, NSF CAREER Award, Optica Foundation Challenge Prize, Ivan P. Kaminow outstanding early career professional prize and several others. He is dedicated to mentoring students, notably through outreach efforts in West Africa, resulting in student successes.