Event
Ph.D. Research Proposal Exam: Utku Noyan
Monday, August 18, 2025
10:30 a.m.
Souad Nejjar
301 405 8135
snejjar@umd.edu
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ph.D. Research Proposal Exam
Name: Utku Noyan
Committee:
Professor Pamela Abshire (Chair)
Professor Sahil Shah
Professor Kevin Daniels
Date/time: Monday, August 18, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Date/time: Monday, August 18, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Title: A CMOS-Based Multiplexed ISFET Sensor Platform for Real-Time Biochemical Detection
Abstract: This research introduces a fully integrated CMOS-based ISFET sensing platform for real-time, label-free, and multiplexed biochemical monitoring, with an initial focus on apoptotic signaling pathways. Unlike conventional endpoint assays, which suffer from limited temporal resolution and require complex laboratory infrastructure, the proposed platform enables dynamic, continuous measurements in a compact, scalable form.
At its core, the system leverages ISFET arrays fabricated using standard CMOS processes to co-locate sensing elements with on-chip readout and signal conditioning circuits. This architecture supports high-density, low-power operation, making it suitable for widespread biomedical deployment.
A key innovation lies in the platform’s true multiplexing capability, achieved through selective surface functionalization and spatial segregation. Four distinct apoptotic biomarkers are monitored in parallel using recognition chemistries such as silanization and Annexin V functionalization for phosphatidylserine detection.
To ensure robust and reliable sensing in physiologically relevant environments, the platform integrates three critical technological advancements:
- Stable and reproducible sensing interfaces developed via optimized atomic layer deposition (ALD),
- PDMS-based micro-well structures enabling spatially resolved functionalization for multiplexed detection, and
- Per-pixel drift-compensating readout architectures with on-chip auto-calibration to mitigate baseline drift and environmental noise.
Preliminary measurements demonstrate a sensitivity of 30–52 mV/decade and a detection limit of 10 nM for phosphatidylserine, validating the platform’s ability to resolve early apoptotic signaling events with high specificity.
By integrating the CMOS scalability, ISFET-based sensing, and multiplexed biochemical detection in a single, integrated platform, this work advances the state of biosensing technologies, with broad applications in real-time cell monitoring, drug screening, and translational diagnostics.
- PDMS-based micro-well structures enabling spatially resolved functionalization for multiplexed detection, and
- Per-pixel drift-compensating readout architectures with on-chip auto-calibration to mitigate baseline drift and environmental noise.
Preliminary measurements demonstrate a sensitivity of 30–52 mV/decade and a detection limit of 10 nM for phosphatidylserine, validating the platform’s ability to resolve early apoptotic signaling events with high specificity.
By integrating the CMOS scalability, ISFET-based sensing, and multiplexed biochemical detection in a single, integrated platform, this work advances the state of biosensing technologies, with broad applications in real-time cell monitoring, drug screening, and translational diagnostics.
