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Our Research Group

At the Amplified Molecular Sensors Lab, we aim to overcome the challenges that are preventing the realization of the next generation of diagnostic systems. In particular, we emphasize the development and application of novel assay automation strategies to enable sample-to-answer tests, while also developing new amplification strategies to add orders of magnitude improvement to diagnostics. Take a look at our most recent publications.

Projects

Sample-to-answer assays using thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs)

Sample-to-answer diagnostics to detect bloodborne viruses using thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs)

Ease-of-use, which in particular includes sample-to-answer operation, is the key to moving diagnostics away from the central lab. Our group invents new approaches to eliminate precise operational steps from sample preparation and assay operation in order to make diagnostics easier to use. We are currently applying our assay automation strategies, such as thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs) to the detection of viruses in blood samples.

Funding: NIAID (R01AI176197), Maryland Device Development Fund

  • Micaela L. Everitt, David J. Boegner, and Ian M. White, Sample-to-Answer Immuno-Magnetic Assay Using Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions, Biosensors, 12, 1030, 2022. DOI:10.3390/bios12111030.

  • David J. Boegner, Micaela L. Everitt, and Ian M. White, Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions for Assay Automation, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14, 8865–8875, 2022. DOI:10.1021/acsami.2c00493.

  • John P. Goertz, Kerry DeMella, Benjamin Thompson, Ian M. White, and Srinivasa Raghavan, Responsive capsules that enable hermetic encapsulation of contents and their thermally triggered burst-release, Materials Horizons, in press, 2019. DOI:10.1039/c9mh00309f.

  • John P. Goertz, Kenya Colvin, Andrew Lippe, John Daristotle, Peter Kofinas, and Ian M. White, Multi-Stage Chemical Heating for Instrument-Free Biosensing, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10, 33043–33048, 2018. DOI:10.1021/acsami.8b11611

  • John P. Goertz and Ian M. White, Phase-change partitions for thermal automation of multi-step reactions, Analytical Chemistry, 90, 3708–3713, 2018. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.7b05400.

Detecting multi-drug resistance with amplified assays

Phenotypically amplified β-lactamase (PhABL) assay for the detection of multidrug resistance to β-lactams

β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales have developed resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by generating β-lactamase enzymes that destry β-lactams. These pathogens are best detected phenotypically, but this generally requires multiple rounds of culture. We are developing approaches to reduce the time-to-result in order to improve patient outcomes and antimicrobial stewardship.

Funding: NIAID (R21AI151929)

  • Shannon H. Hilton, Connor Hall, Hieu T. Nguyen, Micaela L. Everitt, Philip DeShong, and Ian M. White, Phenotypically distinguishing ESBL-producing pathogens using paper-based surface enhanced Raman sensors, Analytica Chimica Acta, 1127, 207-216, 2020. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2020.06.068.

  • Hieu T. Nguyen, Shweta Ganapati, David Watts, Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Philip DeShong, Ian M. White, A new trimodal phenotypic reporter of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase activity, ACS Infectious Disease, in press, 2019. DOI:10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00138.

Sample-to-answer test for trauma-induced multiple organ failure

Portable histone assay technology (PHAST) for the sample-to-answer risk assessment of trauma-induced multiple organ failure

Severe trauma can lead to multiple organ failure. We have developed a sample-to-answer point of care test using thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs) that detects circulating histones in patient blood samples in order to assess the risk of multiple organ failure.

Funding: NHLBI (R61HL167252)

  • Miceala L. Everitt, David Boegner, Konstantin Birukov, and Ian M. White, Sample-to-Answer Diagnostic System for the Detection of Circulating Histones in Whole Blood, ACS Sensors, 6, 3006-3012, 2021. DOI:10.1021/acssensors.1c00886.

Inkjet-Printed SERS Substrates

Inkjet-Printed SERS Substrates

As a bio/chemical sensing technique, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers sensitivity comparable to that of fluorescence detection while providing highly specific information about the analyte. Although single molecule identification with SERS was demonstrated over a decade ago, today a need exists to develop practical solutions for point-of-sample and point-of-care SERS systems. We recently demonstrated the fabrication of SERS substrates by inkjet printing silver and gold nanostructures onto paper and other similar membranes, achieving detection limits comparable to conventional nanofabricated substrates. Furthermore, we have leveraged the fluidic properties of paper to enhance the performance of the SERS devices while also enabling unprecedented ease of use, which is critical for extending chemical and biological analytics from central labs out into the field. We are currently investigating the use of these paper-based SERS sensors for both chemical and biological sensing applications.

    Funding: NSF, Maryland Industrial Partnerships, Ocean Optics

  • Stephen M. Restaino and Ian M. White, A critical review of flexible and porous SERS sensors for analytical chemistry at the point-of-sample, Analytica Chimica Acta, in press, 2019, DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2018.11.057

  • Adam G. Berger, Stephen M. Restaino, and Ian M. White, Vertical-flow paper SERS system for therapeutic drug monitoring of flucytosine in serum, Analytica Chimica Acta, 949C, 59-66, 2017. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2016.10.035

  • Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Multiplex detection of DNA targets using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and paper surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) chromatography, Applied Spectroscopy, 68, 909-915, 2014. DOI:10.1366/14-07451.

  • Jordan F. Betz, Wei W. Yu, Yi Cheng, Ian M. White, and Gary W. Rubloff, Simple SERS substrates: powerful, portable, and full of potential, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 16, 2224-2239, 2014. DOI:10.1039/C3CP53560F.

  • Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Inkjet-printed fluidic paper devices for chemical and biological analytics using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 20, 7300510, 2014. DOI:10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2286076.

  • Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Highly sensitive and flexible inkjet printed SERS sensors on paper, Methods, 63, 219-224, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.07.010.

  • Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Chromatographic separation and detection of target analytes from complex samples using inkjet printed SERS substrates, Analyst, 138, 3679-3686 2013. DOI:10.1039/C3AN00673E.

  • Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Inkjet-Printed Paper-Based SERS Dipsticks and Swabs for Trace Chemical Detection, Analyst, 138, 1020-1025, 2013. DOI:10.1039/C2AN36116G. (outside front cover)

  • Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, A simple filter-based approach to surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for trace chemical detection, Analyst, 137, 168-173, 2012. DOI:10.1039/C2AN15947C.

  • Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Inkjet Printed Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Array on Cellulose Paper, Analytical Chemistry 82, 9626-9630, 2010. DOI:10.1021/ac102475k.

People

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ian White

Dr. Ian White

Professor, Associate Chair, and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Fischell Department of Bioengineering
3112 A. James Clark Hall.
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
301-405-6230
Google Scholar


Joined the University of Maryland in 2008
Post-doc: University of Missouri, Life Sciences Center (2005–2008)
Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (2002)

Senior lab members

David Boegner

David Boegner, Graduate Student

Bio:

  • Joined White Lab in 2020
  • B.S. in Bioengineering, University of Maryland (2020)
  • Fischell Fellowship, 2023-2024
  • Clark Doctoral Fellows Mid-Career Award
  • Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award
  • Evan Benke

    Evan Benke, Graduate Student

    Bio:

    • Joined White Lab in 2021
    • B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado (2021)
    • Rachel Warren

      Rachel Warren, Graduate Student

      Bio:

      • Joined White Lab in 2023
      • B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama (2022)
      • Miso Na

        Miso Na, Graduate Student

        Bio:

        • Joined White Lab in 2024
        • M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2023)
        • B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University
        • Alexander Pueschel

          Alexander Pueschel, Graduate Student

          Bio:

          • Joined White Lab in 2024
          • B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, West Virginia University (2023)
          • MPower Graduate Research Fellow
          • Undergraduate Students

            Alie Bogusch

            Alejandra Bogusch

            Bio:

            • Joined White Lab in 2023
            • Bioengineering Class of 2026

            Previous Lab Members

            Previous Post-Doctoral Associates

            Dr. Shannon Hilton

            Dr. Shannon Hilton

            Bio:

              Instructor, University of Maryland
              Postdoctoral Research Associate in the White Lab, 2019-2023

            Dr. Jeffrey Burke

            Dr. Jeffrey Burke

            Senior Director at Pacific Biosciences
            Postdoctoral Research Associate in the White Lab, 2011-2013

            Dr. I-Jane Chen

            Dr. I-Jane Chen

            Senior Staff R&D Engineer, Thermo Fisher Scientific
            Postdoctoral Research Associate in the White Lab, 2008-2011

            Previous Graduate Students

            Micaela Everitt

            Micaela Everitt, Graduate Student

            Bio:

            • NSF Fellow
            • Fischell Fellow
            • ARCS MWC Danaher Scholar
            • Joined White Lab in 2019
            • B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Washington (2018)

            White Lab Publications:

            • Micaela L. Everitt, David J. Boegner, and Ian M. White, Sample-to-Answer Immuno-Magnetic Assay Using Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions, Biosensors, 12, 1030, 2022. DOI:10.3390/bios12111030.
            • Miceala L. Everitt, David Boegner, Konstantin Birukov, and Ian M. White, Sample-to-Answer Diagnostic System for the Detection of Circulating Histones in Whole Blood, ACS Sensors, 6, 3006-3012, 2021. DOI:10.1021/acssensors.1c00886.
            • Miceala L. Everitt, Alana Tillery, Martha G. David, Nikita Singh, Aviva Borison, and Ian M. White, A critical review of point-of-care diagnostic technologies to combat viral pandemics, Analytica Chimica Acta, 1146, 184-189, 2020. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2020.10.009.
            Imaly Nanayakkara

            Imaly Nanayakkara

            LinkedIn |

            Bio:

            • Joined White Lab in 2015
            • Outstanding Graduate Researcher, Fischell Dept. of Bioengineering, 2019
            • M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Univerity of California - Irvine (2014)
            • B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Boston University (2012)

            White Lab Publications:

            • Imaly A. Nanayakkara and Ian M. White, Demonstration of a quantitative triplex LAMP assay with an improved probe-based readout for the detection of MRSA, Analyst, 144, 3878 - 3885, 2019. DOI:10.1039/C9AN00671K.
            • Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Weidong Cao, and Ian M. White, Simplifying nucleic acid amplification from whole blood with direct PCR on chitosan microparticles, Analytical Chemistry, 89, 3773–3779, 2017 DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.7b00274
            • Kunal R. Pandit, Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Weidong Cao, Srinivasa R. Raghavan, and Ian M. White, Capture and direct amplification of DNA on chitosan microparticles in a single PCR-optimal solution, Analytical Chemistry, 87, 11022-11029, 2015. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03006
            Hieu Nguyen

            Hieu Nguyen

            LinkedIn |

            Bio:

            • NSF Fellow
            • Joined White Lab in 2015
            • B.A. in Biology, Brown University (2009)

            White Lab Publications:

            • Hieu T. Nguyen, Shweta Ganapati, David Watts, Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Philip DeShong, Ian M. White, A new trimodal phenotypic reporter of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase activity, ACS Infectious Disease, in press, 2019. DOI:10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00138.

            Alessandra Zimmermann

            Alessandra Zimmermann

            LinkedIn |

            Bio:

            • Joined White Lab in 2015
            • B.S. in Chemistry with Biology minor, Carnegie Mellon (2013)

            White Lab Publications:

            • Alessandra C. Zimmermann, Ian M. White, and Jason D. Kahn, "Nucleic acid-cleaving catalytic DNA for sensing and therapeutics, Talanta, in press, 2020. DOI:10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120709

            John Goertz

            John Goertz

            LinkedIn | Google Scholar |

            Post-doc, Imperial College London
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2013-2018

            White Lab Publications

            • John P. Goertz, Kerry DeMella, Benjamin Thompson, Ian M. White, and Srinivasa Raghavan, Responsive capsules that enable hermetic encapsulation of contents and their thermally triggered burst-release, Materials Horizons, in press, 2019. DOI:10.1039/c9mh00309f.
            • John P. Goertz, Kenya Colvin, Andrew Lippe, John Daristotle, Peter Kofinas, and Ian M. White, Multi-Stage Chemical Heating for Instrument-Free Biosensing, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10, 33043–33048, 2018. DOI:10.1021/acsami.8b11611
            • John P. Goertz and Ian M. White, Phase-change partitions for thermal automation of multi-step reactions, Analytical Chemistry, 90, 3708–3713, 2018. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.7b05400.
            • John P. Goertz and Ian M. White, Peroxidyme-Amplified Radical Chain Reaction (PARCR): Visible Detection of a Catalytic Reporter, Angewandte Chemie, 56, 13411–13415, 2017. DOI:10.1002/anie.201706163.
            Dr. Stephen Restaino

            Dr. Stephen Restaino

            LinkedIn

            Senior Research Engineer, Maryland Development Center
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2012-2017

            White Lab Publications:

            • Stephen M. Restaino and Ian M. White, A critical review of flexible and porous SERS sensors for analytical chemistry at the point-of-sample, Analytica Chimica Acta, in press, 2019, DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2018.11.057

            • Adam G. Berger, Stephen M. Restaino, and Ian M. White, Vertical-flow paper SERS system for therapeutic drug monitoring of flucytosine in serum, Analytica Chimica Acta, 949C, 59-66, 2017. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2016.10.035
            Sean Virgile

            Sean Virgile

            Co-founder and CFO of Diagnostic anSERS, a company utilizing technology he helped develop while in the White Lab
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2010-2015

            Dr. Kunal Pandit

            Dr. Kunal Pandit

            Research Engineer at New York Genome Center
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2012-2015

            Dr. Eric Hoppmann

            Dr. Eric Hoppmann

            Data Scientist at Earth Networks
            Co-founder and Former CEO of Diagnostic anSERS, a company utilizing technology he helped develop while in the White Lab
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2008-2013

            Dr. Soroush Yazdi

            Dr. Soroush Yazdi

            Senior Biomedical Engineer at Medtronic
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2009-2013

            Dr. Wei "VeeMoon" Yu

            Dr. Wei "VeeMoon" Yu

            Co-founder and Lead Scientist of Diagnostic anSERS, a company utilizing technology he helped develop while in the White Lab
            Postdoctoral Research Associate in the White Lab, 2013-2014
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2008-2013

            Dr. Katayoon Saadin

            Dr. Katayoon Saadin

            Complex Microbial Systems Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
            Former Clinical Research Associate at LifeBridge Health
            Former Biotechnology Consultant for the University System of Maryland
            Doctoral Student in the White Lab, 2009-2012

            Undergraduate Students

            Ayooluwakiitan Oluwafemi

            Eitan Traum

            Wilhelm Smith

            Maryam Iyer

            Maya Wheeler

            Nikita Singh

            Martha David

            Alana Tillery

            Connor Hall

            Aviva Borison

            Aliyah Taule

            Andrew Lippe

            Kenya Colvin

            Megan Dang

            Adam Berger

            Eden Paul

            Divya Jain

            Carolyn Lane

            Kristen Giles

            Aaron Rubinstein

            Marina Shumakovich

            Neerav Patel

            Amanda Dols

            Nathalie Dagenais

            Jenni Jung

            Jon Eskin

            Steve Robinson

            Helen Ji

            Jeff Misiewicz

            Ashu Poudyal

            Amin Asemani

            Dave Gaddes

            Naomi Goldstein

            Farnoosh Farahi

            News

            (February 20, 2024) Alex Pueschel was awarded the MPower Fellowship.

            (August 28, 2023) David Boegner was awarded the Fischell Fellowship.

            (March 14, 2023) Micaela Everitt passed her Ph.D. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (February 1, 2023) David Boegner was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award.

            (February 1, 2023) David Boegner was awarded the Clark Doctoral Fellows Mid-Career Award.

            (November 2, 2021) Micaela Everitt was named an ARCS Metro Washington DC Danaher Scholar.

            (August 28, 2021) Micaela Everitt was awarded the Fischell Fellowship.

            (July 1, 2020) Shannon Hilton was awarded a T32 NIH Training Fellowship

            (June 25, 2020) Alana Tillery was named a Philip Merril Presidential Scholar.

            (June 10, 2020) Alana Tillery was presented with an Extraordinary Service Award by BIOE for her service at COVID-19 testing sites and a local ER.

            (May 18, 2020) Alana Tillery was received the Outstanding BIOE Junior Award.

            (August 19, 2019) Shannon Hilton (Ph.D., Arizona St. Univesrity) has joined our research group. Welcome, Shannon!

            >

            (August 9, 2019) Alessandra Zimmermann passed her Ph.D. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (July 24, 2019) Hieu Nguyen passed his Ph.D. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (April 17, 2019) Connor Hall was given the Bioengineering Department's Outstanding Junior Award.

            (April 9, 2019) Micaela Everitt was awarded the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship.

            (April 2, 2019) Imaly Nanayakkara passed her Ph.D. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (March 12, 2019) Micaela Everitt (BS, Univ. of Washington) has joined our research group. Welcome, Micaela!

            (February 1, 2019) Our lab received an R01 (a collaboration with Don DeVoe and Steve Jay) from NIGMS to develop a new tool for exosome/miRNA-based biomarker discovery.

            (January 13, 2019) Former grad student John Geortz received an F32 post-doctoral fellowship while at Imperial College London. Congratulations!

            (December 20, 2018) Sean Virgile passed his M.S. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (September 12, 2018) Imaly Nanayakkara won the BIOE graduate researcher of the year award.

            (July 6, 2018) John Goertz passed his Ph.D. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (February 9, 2018) Kenya Colvin has been awarded the ASPIRE undergraduate research fellowship to continue her research in spring 2018.

            (November 13, 2017) Diagnostic anSERS, along with our paper SERS technology, has been acquired by Metrohm Raman.

            (October 26, 2017) Stephen Restaino passed his Ph.D. dissertation defense! Congratulations!

            (October 26, 2017) Adam Berger and Megan Dang graduate with Bachelor of Science degrees in Bioengineering. Congratulations, and good luck on your future endeavors!

            (April 14, 2017) Adam Berger's thesis was selected as a winner in the 2017 Best Honors Thesis category for the Winston Family Honors Best Student Paper Awards.

            (April 12, 2017) Adam Berger successfully defended his BIOE Honors Thesis.

            (April 3, 2017) Imaly Nanayakkara successfully defended her Ph.D. proposal!

            (February 23, 2017) Adam Berger has been named the recipient of the Fischell Outstanding Senior Award.

            (February 1, 2017) Adam Berger has been named the recipient of the A. James Clark School of Engineering Dean’s Award, the most prestigious award in the college.

            (August 24, 2016) Adam Berger has been named a Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar in recognition of his academic excellence.

            (August 10, 2016) Adam Berger has received the BMES Undergraduate Design and Research Award for his work on therapeutic drug monitoring with paper SERS devices. The award will be presented at the 2016 BMES conference.

            (April 25, 2016) Megan Dang has been awarded the SEEDS undergraduate research fellowship from summer 2016 and the 2016-2017 academic year.

            (April 22, 2016) Kenya Colvin has been awarded the ASPIRE undergraduate research fellowship to continue her research in summer 2016.

            (April 7, 2016) Adam Berger has been awarded the Dinah Berman Memorial Award for his combined academic excellence and service to the Clark School.

            (April 7, 2016) Adam Berger has been awarded the Fischell Department of Bioengineering Outstanding Junior Award.

            (April 6, 2016) Adam Berger has won a UMD HHMI summer research fellowship!

            (February 4, 2016) John Goertz passed his Ph.D. proposal! Congratulations!

            (August 6, 2015) Stephen Restaino passed his Ph.D. proposal! Congratulations!

            (July 9, 2015) Adriel Sumathipala is selected as a regional finalist in the Google Science Fair.

            (May 21, 2015) Kunal Pandit successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation! Congratulations!

            (March 31, 2015) Hieu Nguyen has been awarded the prestigious NSF Fellowship! Congratulations!

            (March 13, 2015) Imaly Nanayakkara (Bioengineering Ph.D. student) and Hieu Nguyen (Bioengineering Ph.D. student) have joined our group.

            (February 18, 2015) Our lab wins a MIPS award supported by the state of Maryland and Diagnostic anSERS.

            (June 5, 2014) Kristen Giles passes her Bioengineering Undergraduate Honors thesis defense.

            (May 14, 2014) Stephen Restaino wins the Distinguished Graduate Student Teaching Award from the University of Maryland Center for Teaching Excellence.

            (March 10, 2014) Kristen Giles wins Best Undergraduate Research Poster Award at the Mid-Atlantic Micro/Nano Alliance annual symposium.

            Giles Award

            (January 1, 2014) John Goertz, the 2013 winner of the Fischell Fellowship, has joined the group.

            Eric Hoppmann successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation. Congratulations!

            Soroush Yazdi successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation. Congratulations!

            Veemoon Yu was awarded the Fischell BIOE Outstanding Graduate Researcher for 2012-2013.

            Kristen Giles has been accepted into the BIOE Honors Program.

            Veemoon Yu successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation. Congratulations!

            Hoppmann wins GRID competition with presentation on paper-SERS detection of PCR products.

            Virgile, Diagnostic anSERS, take third at the national Cupid's Cup Competition.

            Our lab wins a MIPS award, supported by the state of Maryland and Diagnostic anSERS.

            Yu's paper on inkjet-printed paper SERS dipsticks, swabs, and lateral flow concentration is selected for Analyst outside front cover.

            Analyst front cover

            Katayoon Saadin successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation. Congratulations! She is the first graduate from our research group.

            Hoppmann, Virgile reach finals of MTECH's $75K Business Plan Competition.

            Our group wins a collaboration award from the FDA Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation.

            Our paper-based SERS devices were featured by SPIE Newsroom.

            Our group wins a Blue Ocean Grant from Ocean Optics.

            Sean Virgile, the 2010 winner of the Fischell Fellowship, has joined the group.

            C&EN reports on Yu's ink-jet-printed SERS array.

            Yu publishes first ever ink-jet-printed SERS microdevice.

            SERS on paper image

            Available Positions

            Post-Doctoral Associates

            The Amplified Molecular Sensors Lab at the University of Maryland currently has an opening for a post-doc. Current areas of interest include:

            Technologies:

          • Isothermal amplification
          • Novel uses of materials in sensing systems
          • Applications:

          • Culture-independent screening tools for antimicrobial resistance
          • Exosome and miRNA/mRNA detection
          • Infectious disease diagnosis
          • The selected candidate will be strongly encouraged to pursue career-enhancing fellowships. The selected candidate will also engage in proposal writing on behalf of the research group; strong writing capabilities are a must.

            Interested candidates should send a cover letter and CV to Prof. White.

            Graduate Students

            In the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, graduate students do not select research groups until the end of their first year. Therefore, if you are interested in joining our group, please first apply for admission to the department.

            Undergraduate Students

            We are currently accepting applications for undergraduate researchers who are excited to contribute to our field. Preference is given to those who intend to pursue a Ph.D.

            Publications

            Peer-Reviewed Publications

            1. Micaela L. Everitt, David J. Boegner, and Ian M. White, Sample-to-Answer Immuno-Magnetic Assay Using Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions, Biosensors, 12, 1030, 2022. DOI:10.3390/bios12111030.

            2. David J. Boegner, Micaela L. Everitt, and Ian M. White, Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions for Assay Automation, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14, 8865–8875, 2022. DOI:10.1021/acsami.2c00493.

            3. Shannon H. Hilton and Ian M. White, Advances in the analysis of single extracellular vesicles: a critical review, Sensors and Actuators Reports, 100052, 2021. DOI:10.1016/j.snr.2021.100052.

            4. Miceala L. Everitt, David Boegner, Konstantin Birukov, and Ian M. White, Sample-to-Answer Diagnostic System for the Detection of Circulating Histones in Whole Blood, ACS Sensors, 6, 3006-3012, 2021. DOI:10.1021/acssensors.1c00886.

            5. Miceala L. Everitt, Alana Tillery, Martha G. David, Nikita Singh, Aviva Borison, and Ian M. White, A critical review of point-of-care diagnostic technologies to combat viral pandemics, Analytica Chimica Acta, 1146, 184-189, 2020. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2020.10.009.

            6. Shannon H. Hilton, Connor Hall, Hieu T. Nguyen, Micaela L. Everitt, Philip DeShong, and Ian M. White, Phenotypically distinguishing ESBL-producing pathogens using paper-based surface enhanced Raman sensors, Analytica Chimica Acta, 1127, 207-216, 2020. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2020.06.068.

            7. Alessandra C. Zimmermann, Ian M. White, and Jason D. Kahn, Nucleic acid-cleaving catalytic DNA for sensing and therapeutics, Talanta, 211, 120709, 2020. DOI:10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120709

            8. Hieu T. Nguyen, Shweta Ganapati, David Watts, Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Philip DeShong, Ian M. White, A new trimodal phenotypic reporter of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase activity, ACS Infectious Disease, 5,1731-1737, 2019. DOI:10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00138.

            9. Imaly A. Nanayakkara and Ian M. White, Demonstration of a quantitative triplex LAMP assay with an improved probe-based readout for the detection of MRSA, Analyst, 144, 3878 - 3885, 2019. DOI:10.1039/C9AN00671K.

            10. John P. Goertz, Kerry DeMella, Benjamin Thompson, Ian M. White, and Srinivasa Raghavan, Responsive capsules that enable hermetic encapsulation of contents and their thermally triggered burst-release, Materials Horizons, 1238-1243, 2019. DOI:10.1039/c9mh00309f.

            11. Stephen M. Restaino and Ian M. White, A critical review of flexible and porous SERS sensors for analytical chemistry at the point-of-sample, Analytica Chimica Acta, 1060, 17-29, 2019, DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2018.11.057

            12. John P. Goertz, Kenya Colvin, Andrew Lippe, John Daristotle, Peter Kofinas, and Ian M. White, Multi-Stage Chemical Heating for Instrument-Free Biosensing, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10, 33043–33048, 2018. DOI:10.1021/acsami.8b11611

            13. John P. Goertz and Ian M. White, Phase-change partitions for thermal automation of multi-step reactions, Analytical Chemistry, 90, 3708–3713, 2018. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.7b05400.

            14. Stephen M. Restaino and Ian M. White, Real-time multiplexed PCR using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy in a thermoplastic chip, Lab on a Chip, 18, 832-839, 2018. DOI:10.1039/C7LC01227F.

            15. John P. Goertz and Ian M. White, Peroxidyme-Amplified Radical Chain Reaction (PARCR): Nested Photochemical and Biochemical Positive Feedback, Angewandte Chemie, 56, 13411–13415, 2017. DOI:10.1002/anie.201706163.

            16. Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Weidong Cao, and Ian M. White, Simplifying nucleic acid amplification from whole blood with direct PCR on chitosan microparticles, Analytical Chemistry, 89, 3773–3779, 2017. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.7b00274.

            17. Adam G. Berger, Stephen M. Restaino, and Ian M. White, Vertical-flow paper SERS system for therapeutic drug monitoring of flucytosine in serum, Analytica Chimica Acta, 949C, 59-66, 2017. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2016.10.035

            18. Kunal R. Pandit, Imaly A. Nanayakkara, Weidong Cao, Srinivasa R. Raghavan, and Ian M. White, Capture and direct amplification of DNA on chitosan microparticles in a single PCR-optimal solution, Analytical Chemistry, 87, 11022-11029, 2015. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03006

            19. Kunal R. Pandit, Paul E. Rueger, Richard V. Calabrese, Srinivasa R. Raghavan, and Ian M. White, Assessment of surfactants for efficient droplet PCR in mineral oil using the pendant drop technique, Journal of Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 126, 489-495, 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.01.001

            20. Jeffrey M. Burke, Kunal Pandit, John P. Goertz, and Ian M. White, Fabrication of rigid microstructures with thiol-ene-based soft lithography for continuous-flow cell lysis, Biomicrofluidics, 8, 056503, 2014. DOI:10.1063/1.4897135.

            21. Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Multiplex detection of DNA targets using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and paper surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) chromatography, Applied Spectroscopy, 68, 909-915, 2014. DOI:10.1366/14-07451.

            22. Jeffrey M. Burke, Rebecca E. Zubajlo, Elisabeth Smela, and Ian M. White, High-throughput particle separation and concentration using spiral inertial filtration, Biomicrofluidics, 8, 024105 2014. DOI:10.1063/1.4870399.

            23. Jordan F. Betz, Wei W. Yu, Yi Cheng, Ian M. White, and Gary W. Rubloff, Simple SERS substrates: powerful, portable, and full of potential, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 16, 2224-2239, 2014. DOI:10.1039/C3CP53560F.

            24. Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Inkjet-printed fluidic paper devices for chemical and biological analytics using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 20, 7300510, 2014. DOI:10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2286076.

            25. Soroush H. Yazdi, Kristen L. Giles, and Ian M. White, Multiplexed detection of DNA sequences using a competitive displacement assay in an microfluidic SERRS-based device, Analytical Chemistry, 85, 10605-10611, 2013. DOI:10.1021/ac402744z.

            26. Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Highly sensitive and flexible inkjet printed SERS sensors on paper, Methods, 63, 219-224, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.07.010.

            27. Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Chromatographic separation and detection of target analytes from complex samples using inkjet printed SERS substrates, Analyst, 138, 3679-3686 2013. DOI:10.1039/C3AN00673E.

            28. Katayoon Saadin, Jeffrey M. Burke, Neerav P. Patel, Rebecca E. Zubajlo, and Ian M. White, Enrichment of tumor-initiating breast cancer cells within a mammosphere-culture microdevice, Biomedical Microdevices, 15, 645-655, 2013. DOI:10.1007/s10544-013-9755-y.

            29. Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Inkjet-Printed Paper-Based SERS Dipsticks and Swabs for Trace Chemical Detection, Analyst, 138, 1020-1025, 2013. DOI:10.1039/C2AN36116G. (outside front cover)

            30. Soroush H. Yazdi and Ian M. White, Multiplexed detection of aquaculture fungicides using a pump-free optofluidic SERS microsystem, Analyst, 138, 100-103, 2013. DOI:10.1039/C2AN36232E.

            31. Soroush H. Yazdi and Ian M. White, Multiplexed detection of aquaculture fungicides using a pump-free optofluidic SERS microsystem, Analyst, 138, 100-103, 2013. DOI:10.1039/C2AN36232E.

            32. Soroush H. Yazdi and Ian M. White, An Optofluidic SERS Microsystem for Sensitive and Repeatable On-Site Detection of Chemical Contaminants, Analytical Chemistry, 84, 7992-7998, 2012. DOI:10.1021/ac301747b.

            33. Katayoon Saadin and Ian M. White, Breast cancer stem cell enrichment and isolation by mammosphere culture and its potential diagnostic applications, Expert Reviews of Molecular Diagnostics, 13, 49-60, 2013. DOI:10.1586/erm.12.117.

            34. Ian M. White, Soroush H. Yazdi, and Wei W. Yu, Optofluidic SERS: synergizing photonics and microfluidics for chemical and biological analysis, Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 12, 205-216, 2012. DOI:10.1007/s10404-012-0962-2

            35. Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, A simple filter-based approach to surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for trace chemical detection, Analyst, 137, 168-173, 2012. DOI:10.1039/C2AN15947C.

            36. Soroush H. Yazdi and Ian M. White, A nanoporous optofluidic microsystem for highly sensitive and repeatable SERS detection, Biomicrofluidics, 6, 014105, 2012. DOI:10.1063/1.3677369. (selected for publication in the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research)

            37. Xudong Fan and Ian M. White, Optofluidic microsystems for chemical and biological analysis, Nature Photonics, 5, 591-597, 2011. DOI:10.1038/nphoton.2011.206.

            38. I-Jane Chen and Ian M. White, High-sensitivity electrochemical enzyme-linked assay on a microfluidic interdigitated microelectrode, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 26, 4375-4381, 2011. DOI:10.1016/j.bios.2011.04.044.

            39. Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Inkjet Printed Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Array on Cellulose Paper, Analytical Chemistry 82, 9626-9630, 2010. DOI:10.1021/ac102475k.

            40. Jikun Liu, Ian M. White, and Don L. DeVoe, Nanoparticle-Functionalized Porous Polymer Monolith Detection Elements for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering, Analytical Chemistry, 83, 2119-2124, 2011. DOI:10.1021/ac102932d.

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