Event
Bioengineering Seminar Series: Jeff Tza-Huei Wang
Friday, April 23, 2010
11:00 a.m.
Room 2110, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Bldg.
Professor Ian White
ianwhite@umd.edu
Microfluidic Single-Molecule Detection and Quantum Dot Technologies for Genomic Analysis of Diseases
Presented by Jeff Tza-Huei Wang
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering
The Johns Hopkins University
Human genome constitutes numerous alterations at the level of chromosomes, chromatins and nucleotides. These alterations offer clues to the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. Studies of genomic aberrations such as point mutations and gene amplifications, and epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation thus can facilitate discovery of molecular biomarkers that aid in early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and post-therapy monitoring. Recently there is an increasing interest in using single-molecule detection (SMD) for genomic analysis. The driving force not only comes from its ultrahigh sensitivity allowing for detection of low-abundance nucleic acids with reduced or without the need of amplification, but also from its potential in achieving quantification of rare targets via single-molecule sorting. We have developed highly sensitive, quantitative and clinically relevant technologies for analysis of genetic and epigenetic biomarkers, basing on convergences of SMD, microfluidic manipulations, and quantum dot fluorescence resonance energy transfer (QD-FRET). These technologies can be used for direct measurements of cell-free DNA in bodily fluids, such as blood, urine and sputum, enabling a promising means to realize non-invasive, "liquid biopsy" screening. The technologies have been demonstrated by analysis of a variety of nucleic acid biomarkers including point mutations, DNA integrity and DNA methylation in clinical samples.
