Undergraduate Poly-thinking enhances Bio-sensing

From left to right:
Momchil Mihnev, David Keng, Jelena Culic-Viskota, Dr. Stephen Arnold and Dr. Ravi Ramjit

Undergraduate students at the Polytechnic’s MicroParticle Photo-Physics Lab (MP3L) in Brooklyn have utilized the tendency of light to be drawn toward a dense material of nanoscopic dimension to create a unique biosensor of unprecedented sensitivity. The sensor will be used to identify ultra low level of proteins, DNA and viruses. Their paper on enhancing the sensitivity of the biosensor was published in Applied Physics Letters on Nov 27, 2006 and was republished in the December 1, 2006 issue of APS’s Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research.

The undergraduate students working on enhancing the sensitivity limits come from different backgrounds. One student, Jelena Culic-Viskota, is a chemical engineer doing a minor in chemistry, and the other, Momchil Mihnev, is an electrical engineer minoring in mathematics.

Jelena is interested in the kinetics study of adsorption and desorption of proteins on the biosensor surface, while Momchil’s interests lie more in establishing optical means for lowering the sensitivity threshold of the biosensor. Both of the students have worked together to enhance the sensitivity of the whispering gallery mode biosensor by 700%, making the MP3L’s biosensor the most sensitive label free biosensor.

The students feel that the interdisciplinary work they have taken on has expanded their knowledge and prepared them better for their future endeavors.

Apart from excelling academically, these students, have taken part in extracurricular activities holding leadership roles and serving the Polytechnic community.

Jelena is the president of the National Engineering Honor Society (Tau Beta Pi NY Rho Chapter) and was the Vice President of Academics for the Student Council (2005/2006), as well as a tutor for the Polytechnic Tutoring Center (PTC) and a teaching assistant for the Mathematics Department. She also had the position on the Women’s volleyball team as their co-captain last year.

Momchil is the president of the Electrical Engineering Honor Society (Eta Kappa Nu). He is also a member of the Tau Beta Pi and was a teaching assistant for the Mathematics Department.

Momchil and Jelena have both been members of the Othmer Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies Honors College and recipients of the Tau Beta Pi scholarships. Their thirst for knowledge and passion for research has lead them both to apply for PhD programs next Fall. We expect that they will follow the path of MP3L alumni who went off to Yale, Columbia, Harvard and Rockefeller University and hope that their futures will be equally bright.