Project

Biological Sensing with the Myriad Magnificent Colors of Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystals are fascinating materials, combining the flow properties of isotropic liquids with orientational ordering characteristic of solids. While liquid crystals are best known for powering the displays ubiquitous in our day-to-day lives, increasing attention has been paid to their use in biological and chemical sensing applications. My research seeks to push the boundaries of liquid crystals as biological and chemical sensors. I look to see if we can both qualitatively and quantitatively distinguish between given antigenic analytes, using bulk and surface phenomena. Additionally, I work on developing immunoassay-like techniques with liquid crystal droplets with a view to detecting harmful materials in the environment.