Research Focus
IRTs (Interdisciplinary Research Teams)

Research
Currently WVNano’s scientific and engineering research focuses on bionanotechnology for enhanced public safety and environmental safety.  Of particular interest is the development of fundamental knowledge needed for field‐deployable sensors that can monitor, in real‐time, DNA fingerprinting and the presence of specific heavy metals, pathogens, and other environmental threats. This research is organized within the framework of Interdisciplinary Research Teams (IRTs).  IRTs include faculty from different departments working towards a common research goal.  The interdisciplinary nature of the research is enhanced by the Shared Facilities, which provide a research space  where students, postdocs, faculty, and external users from different backgrounds work together.  IRTs are organized along the following themes:

IRTs (Interdisciplinary Research Teams)

IRT1 Portable and Rapid Identification Platforms
IRT1 Leaders: Jeremy Dawson (CSEE)

IRT2 Field‐deployable Microfluidic Electrochemical Sensors for Multiplexed Detection of Heavy Metals and Small Molecule Toxins
IRT2 Leaders:  Nick Wu (MAE) and Pete Gannett (Pharmacy)

IRT3 Ex Vivo and In Vitro Biomimetics for Cellular Response Monitoring.
IRT3 Leader:  Yon Rojanasakul (Pharmacy) and Elmer Price (Biology, Marshall)

Seed Projects

Electric Cell Impedance Sensing (ECIS) to Quantify Cytotoxicity of nanomaterials to Human Epithelial Cells (more)

Principal Investigator (PI)
Cerasela Zoica Dinu, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, WVU  Co-Investigator (Co-PI)
Yon Rojanasakul, Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, WVU

Environmental Sensing Using a Broadly Selective Aptamer (more)

Principal Investigator (PI)
Lisa Holland, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, WVU
Co-Investigator (Co-PI)
Letha Sooter, Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, WVU