Student Scholars & Faculty Mentors
Projects funded by our internal grants program. Search the table to find students or faculty mentors that share in your interests, and could help you achieve your goals in research, creative activity, or service.
Development of an Aptamer Biosensor
Name: Schmidt,
Advisor: Rickard, Lyman
Department: CHEM
Award: Student Research Grant
Abstract: This research is to develop a biosensor with aptamers to measure the concentration of myoglobin in a solution. Biosensors are used to detect molecules at low concentrations in bodily fluids. In the past, antibodies were used as binding agents on the sensors. Only recently have binding agents been changed to aptamers. Aptamers are short strands of DNA or RNA which have been synthesized in a lab to bind to specific analytes, in this case myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein that is released in the blood during or after a heart attack. In this project, a biosensor based on aptamers can be constructed and used to measure myoglobin in a solution. The experimental procedure uses Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) as the method of analysis. EIS is an electrochemical technique that measures the impedance at the surface of an electrode. If an aptamer-based biosensor for myoglobin can be successfully developed, it has the potential to be used in the clinical monitoring of patients with heart disease.