Our laboratory aims to exploit the optical
properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) to develop biosensing applications based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Not only do these technologies offer several advantages compared to classical microbiological approaches to diagnostics, they will facilitate our investigations into the mechanism behind SERS and antibody-antigen binding kinetics, and aid in the identification of novel ligands with enhanced stability and specificity.
The scope of this work is such that students with interest in fundamental and applied research are needed. The interdisciplinary nature also requires students interested in both biology and chemistry. Work in this lab will provide opportunity for hands-on training in surface chemistry, spectroscopy, biological assay design and development, safe handling of biosafety level 2 pathogens, and chemometrics.
Projects
Current
- Rational Design of Antibody-AuNP Conjugates
- SERS-based Point-of-Care Diagnostics
- Coupling SERS and PSI-MS for On-Site Analysis of Chemical Evidence
- Site-Specific Conjugation of Antibodies
People
Principle Investigator
- Dr. Jeremy D. Driskell
Current Students
- Emily Beitello (M.S. 2025 expected)
- Faith Breausche (B.S. 2024; M.S. 2026 expected)
- Anna Somerlot (B.S. 2024 expected)
- Haydn Barlow (B.S. 2026 expected)
- Trent Kobulnicky (B.S. 2026 expected)
Past Students
- Kwame Osei (M.S. 2024; current Ph.D. program at UW-Madison)
- Anthony Amissah (M.S. 2024)
- Jason Walder (B.S. 2024)
- Cathleen Hacker (2024 – transferred to Univ. South Carolina)
- Samantha Babcock (2024 – transferred to Univ. South Carolina)
- Quentin Hall (2024 – transferred to UW-Madison)
- McKenzie Riley (M.S. 2022)
- Tosin Ogunlusi (M.S. 2022; AbbVie)
- Eunice Ebbah (2022; Qiagen)
- Evan Strandquist (B.S. December 2020; medical school)
- Samuel Okyem (M.S. 2020; current Ph.D. program at UIUC)
- Olatunde Awotunde (M.S. 2020; Ph.D. 2024 (Notre Dame))
- Richard Frimpong (M.S. 2020)
- Daniel Burr (M.S. 2019; Peoria high school teacher)
- Kiran Tripathi (M.S. 2018; current Ph.D. program at UT-Dallas)
- Lupe Ruiz (B.S. 2018)
- Nicki Ryan (B.S. 2018)
- Skylar Clement (B.S. 2018)
- Francis Lovato (B.S. May 2017)
- Seth Filbrun (M.S. May 2017; Ph.D. 2022 (Georgia State)
- Alexandra (Mandl) Filbrun (B.S. May 2016; Ph.D. 2022 (Georgia Tech)
- Franklin Chang (visiting 2017)
- Yen Lai (M.S. May 2015)
- Lindsey Cermak (B.S. May 2015)
- Arielle Lopez (B.S. May 2015; M.S. (Notre Dame)
- Carleigh Larrick (B.S. May 2015)
- Kaleena Mormann (2013-2014)
- Michelle Penn (M.S. 2014; current Astrix Technology)
- Czarina Pempe (B.S. May 2014)
- Colton Pate (B. S. May 2014)
- Dr. David Drake (research associate, summer 2012/2013)
- Christopher Trunell (Summer 2013; visiting undergraduate)
- Samantha Capel (B.S. May 2014; current Ph.D program at UIUC)
- Blair Smith (B.S. 2013)
- Andre James (graduate; 2011-2013)
Major Instruments
- Surface Plasmon Resonance (Nicoya OpenSPR-XT)
- Circular Dichroism (Jasco 1100)
- Raman Spectrometer (Enwave ProRaman-L)
- Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (Nanosight LM-10)
- Dynamic Light Scattering (Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZSP)
Funding
- Illinois State University
- National Science Foundation – CBET (2011 – 2014)
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency (2013 – 2017)
- National Institute of Justice (2017 – 2019)
- National Science Foundation – MSN (2018-2022)
- National Science Foundation – MSN (2022-2025)
- National Institutes of Health – NIGMS (2022-2025)