The Lab of Biomedical Materials and Devices, or the BioMAD Lab, focuses on the development of advanced biomaterials and next-generation platforms to detect an emerging class of disease biomarkers called circulating cell-free nucleic acids including microRNA biomarkers from ‘liquid biopsy’ tests. At the intersection between polymeric biomaterials, nanomaterials, and microtechnologies, our highly translation research includes advancements in hydrogel microparticles, dermal microneedles, solid-state nanopores, soft bionics, and microscale biosensing technologies for advanced applications in personalized medicine. The BioMAD biosensing devices exploit a variety of transduction mechanisms to generate optical (fluorescence and colorimetric), electrochemical, and electrical readouts for ultrasensitive and quantitative detection of disease biomarkers.
Central to the lab expertise is the rational design and biofunctionalization of synthetic mimics of DNA called xeno-nucleic acids (namely, peptide nucleic acids) as bioreceptor probes and advanced therapeutics, offering greater robustness, stability and specificity compared to their natural oligonucleotide counterparts. Ultimately, we aim to tackle urgent clinical needs in Saudi Arabia and globally, through developing miniaturized, sustainable and point-of-care technologies for minimally-invasive disease diagnosis and monitoring, with a focus on cancer.
