Development of a Low-Cost, Disposable, Miniaturized, Label-Free Cell Sensing and Screening Platform Based on Monolithic Optoelectronic GaN Chips

Principal Investigator: Professor Zhiqin CHU (Assistant Professor from Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

This project is showcased in the fourth exhibition – Innovation for Impacts.

About the scholar

Professor Zhiqin CHU

Research interests:

    • Precision Biosensing/ imaging
    • Diamond defects
    • Biophysics
    • Nanophotonics
    • Materials-Biology

Email: zqchu@eee.hku.hk
Website:https://www.zqchu-pbblab.hku.hk/

Project information

This project aims to establish a practical, commercialize living cell sensing and screening platform for the biomedical sensing market. Leveraging the GaN microchip optical sensing technology, this platform can detect the optical signals coupled with dynamic information of cells, thus allowing real-time, label-free and non-destructive monitoring and analysis of cell activity in multi-scale cell samples. Besides, through the integration of multiple functional modules like microfluidic systems, this platform can be expanded to meet the needs of different biological scenarios, serving as a valuable tool for in-situ physiological detection of live cells in various complex scenarios such as cancer cell sorting/counting/screening, online detection and quantification of cell-biomolecule interaction.

Novelty

  • Monolithic integration: enables LEDs and PDs in the same microchip
  • Enriched data output: real-time photocurrent measurement and imaging for cell activity study
  • Low cost: <10 cents per chip
  • High sensitivity and simple optical setup
Project video
Project images
GaN chipcsope as a versatile and label-free cell analyzer
Label-free and low-cost flow cytometer based on microfluidic GaN optoelectronic chip
Various applications of developed GaN chip cell analyzer
Other projects
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