Within the fields of nanobioscience, micro&nanotechnology, electrical engineering, and applied physics the group develops biosensors and unconventional micro&nanotechnologies to create flexible analytical tools based on BioLab-on-chips, micro/nanosensors, micromixers, and microfilters. These innovative tools, designed to be suitable for large-scale production at low cost have application in healthcare and life sciences, ranging from uncovering and diagnosing disease, especially cancer biomarkers, to the discovery and screening of new drug molecules.

We develop biosensors based on specifically designed surfaces using micro-contact printing (µCP) and electroless deposition (EDL). We design also Biolab-on-chips with gold microelectrodes manufactured on substrates (e.g. polyimide) by a combination of soft lithography tools such as replica molding, µCP, and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Other flexible microfilters and micromixers are based on sealing microstructured poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to the different functionalized thermoplastic films (polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Today, we also aim to develop novel methods for mass production of Nano-Field Effect Transistor (NanoFETs) based on polypyrrole nanowires (NPpyFET) with low-cost using “unconventional” nanofabrication techniques (e.g. EDL, Submerged nanocontact printing…). We tackle the optimization of such NPpyFET for detection of cancer biomarkers, especially Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).

Recent Highlights

  • Design of a Biolab-on-chip for the detection of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-10, IL-1, and IL-6), biomarkers secreted in the human body during an acute inflammation due to the rejection of a ventricular assisted device.
  • Development of a novel hybrid nanoarchitecture biosensor for the detection of IL-10 based on hafnium oxide (HfO2) grown by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on silicon and other chemical chemo-biosensors for detection of ClO4-, Li+, pH, Na+, K+ and antibiotics.

Contact: Pr Abdelhamid ERRACHID, Group leader – abdelhamid.errachid[@]isa-lyon.fr