Research
BI Research Initiatives
The BI supports numerous McMaster researchers and external clients by providing a space for collaboration and discovery. Here we highlight milestones in our research history and provide more information on our faculty members.
Research Areas
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests, performed near a patient or at home, aim to provide rapid results, improve patient outcomes and lower healthcare costs. Similar to a home pregnancy or COVID testing device, POC tests developed at the BI use protein-targeting elements, known as DNAzymes.
Biomanufacturing View Article
A state-of-the-art biomanufacturing lab space will contribute to the development of biotherapeutics and improved access to life-saving treatments for chronic diseases. Thanks to a longstanding partnership with Sartorius, this 1,600 sq. ft. area, will serve as a training and development hub to investigate bioprocess modelling, simulation and advanced control.
Environmental Analytes Test Strips
One of the first projects undertaken at the Biointerfaces Institute is the development of test strips for detection of environmental analytes (e.g. pesticides, heavy metals and E. coli). Prototype strips have already been developed with good bioactivity and long-term stability. Portable bio-sensing papers are expected to be useful in monitoring environmental and food-based toxins, as well as in remote settings in less industrialized countries where simple bioassays are essential for the first stages of detecting disease.
This work is protected by a pending patent, and has been published in leading scientific journals, describing its application for agriculture and food safety. One of the major differences between these test strips and more common immunodiagnostic strips is the use of enzyme assays on paper. This format has been used for assaying enzyme inhibitors, substrates and cofactors, with extensive studies in both colorimetric and fluorometric enzyme assays.
Publications
Pullulan Encapsulation of Labile Biomolecules View Publication
A simple and inexpensive method using water-soluble pullulan-based tablets for the long-term stabilization of enzymes and other unstable reagents.
Pullulan Encapsulation of Labile Biomolecules to Give Stable Bioassay Tablets. Jahanshahi-Anbuh, S., et al. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2014, Volume 53, Issue 24: 6009-6275.
A Graphene-Based Biosensing Platform View Publication
A Graphene-Based Biosensing biosensing platform using DNA aptamers for ultrasensitive detection of both small-molecule and macromolecular targets.
A Graphene-Based Biosensing Platform Based on the Release of DNA Probes and Rolling Circle Amplification. Liu, M., et al. American Chemical Society – Nano, 2014, Volume 8, Issue 6: 5564–5573.
Protein-Repellant Cellulose Paper View Publication
A simple, scalable protocol that reduces nonspecific adsorption of proteins to filter paper for biosensor applications.
Poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) Dip-Coating: Turning Cellulose Paper into a Protein-Repellent Platform for Biosensors. Deng, X., et al. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2014, Volume 136, Issue 37: 12852–12855.
Meet our Members
John Brennan
Biointerfaces Institute Co-Director
Professor, Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Kathryn Grandfield (Bernar)
Associate Professor
Materials Science & Engineering
David Latulippe
Biointerfaces Institute Co-Director
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
