Sensitivity Enhancement of Point-of-Care for Cardiac Markers Detection using Micro-Impedimetric Immunosensor Arrays.

This paper describes the development and characterisation of a novel, electrical impedance spectroscopy-based (EIS) immunosensor array for point-of-care applications. EIS is a highly sensitive, label-free, real time technique suitable for single use, point-of-care cardiac marker detection devices. However, the underlying source of the observed change in EIS immunoassay response has not been well characterised or understood.

Investigation of Bifurcation Effect on Various Microfluidic Designs for Blood Separation.

In this project, a microfluidic device for blood separation will be designed and tested in order to separate plasma from whole blood for diagnostic purposes. The design will be based on previously implemented designs that will be further discussed in the next sections. When designing microfluidic devices, it is essential to consider the different physical phenomena that arise from switching from the macro scale to the micro scale.

Detection of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Hormone using Digital Lateral Flow Immunoassay.

The main goal of this work was to establish a hybrid device incorporating an electrochemical-based transducer on a conventional lateral flow assay strip in order to perform an on-chip fast testing method for the detection of various bio-analyses. In this context, the expected development of the digital lateral-flow immunoassay to be considered a reliable low-cost instrument improves the future of the very simple and flexible approach oflateral-flow assays. It is anticipated to achieve a digital quantitative lateral-flow immunoassay by exploring the electrochemical transducers alongwith recognition elements for digitization of commercially available rapid tests.

A Brain Machine Interface for command based control of a wheelchair using conditioning of oscillatory brain activity.

In this research a new method of wheelchair control using a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is proposed, in an attempt to bridge the gap between in-lab and real life applications, we believe it would provide a high level control over the BCI instead of the normal low level commands. It is anticipated to emphasis on mu rhythm to provide the control signals. The wheelchair is equipped with a mapping system, which scans the area and provides a map containing information about the user's current location and next possible destinations, then provides an optimized list of possible trajectories to reach the destination.

Artificial neural networks for dihedral angles prediction in enzyme loops: a novel approach.

Structure prediction of proteins is considered a limiting step and determining factor in drug development and in the introduction of new therapies. Since the 3D structures of proteins determine their functionalities, prediction of dihedral angles remains an open and important problem in bioinformatics, as well as a major step in discovering tertiary structures. This work presents a method that predicts values of the dihedral angles φ and ψ for enzyme loops based on data derived from amino acid sequences.

Flexible, polymer-supported synthesis of sphingosine derivatives provides ceramides with enhanced biological activity.

A polymer-supported route for the synthesis of sphingosine derivatives is presented based on the C-acylation of polymeric phosphoranylidene acetates with an Fmoc-protected amino acid. The approach enables the flexible variation of the sphingosine tail through a deprotection-decarboxylation sequence followed by E-selective Wittig olefination cleavage. d-Erythro-sphingosine analogs have been synthesized by diastereoselective reduction of the keto group employing LiAlH(O-tBu)3 as reducing agent.

Soluble peptidyl phosphoranes for metal-free, stereoselective ligations in organic and aqueous solution.

Protocols for solid-phase syntheses of soluble peptidyl phosphoranes are presented. Various supported phosphoranylidene acetates were prepared on Rink amide or via alkylation of trialkyl- and triarylphosphines with bromoacetyl Wang ester. C-Acylation was conducted racemization-free with activated Fmoc-amino acids, followed by SPPS (solid-phase peptide synthesis).

Peptide aldehyde inhibitors challenge the substrate specificity of the SARS-coronavirus main protease.

SARS coronavirus main protease (SARS-CoV M(pro)) is essential for the replication of the virus and regarded as a major antiviral drug target. The enzyme is a cysteine protease, with a catalytic dyad (Cys-145/His-41) in the active site. Aldehyde inhibitors can bind reversibly to the active-site sulfhydryl of SARS-CoV M(pro).

Determination of Glucose Concentration in Aqueous Solution Using ATR-WT-IR Technique.

Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has been used to measure glucose concentrations in different matrices. The accuracy of the FT-IR technique does not meet the requirements of medical applications, so we have developed a new, efficient and precise method based on attenuated total reflectance coupled with wavelet transformation (ATR-WT-IR). One thousand interferograms, divided into training- and testing-sets, have been recorded from four glucose concentrations using an ATR-IR unit.

An efficient method for the synthesis of peptide aldehyde libraries employed in the discovery of reversible SARS coronavirus main protease (SARS-CoV Mpro) inhibitors.

A method for the parallel solid-phase synthesis of peptide aldehydes has been developed. Protected amino acid aldehydes obtained by the racemization-free oxidation of amino alcohols with Dess-Martin periodinane were immobilized on threonyl resins as oxazolidines. Following Boc protection of the ring nitrogen to yield the N-protected oxazolidine linker, peptide synthesis was performed efficiently on this resin.