Research interests
Her research aims to deliver nanoarchitectures to build bespoke diagnostics, by harnessing high-precision fabrication methods and advances in surface engineering. The assembly in hierarchical structures with tuneable electrochemical properties and surface chemistry is intertwined with the material’s functions. Her interest lies in gathering new knowledge on the relationship between architecture/biointerface and function, to design sensors underpinning personalised clinical management of infections. She aims to develop bioelectronic devices unveiling the mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics, and the role of quorum sensing in virulence expression. She has also interest in wearable biosensing technology fostering advances in therapeutic drug monitoring of antibiotics. The contribution of all these tools to guide antibiotics choice and dosage is foreseen as a key driver toward effective treatment, protecting patients from antibiotics adverse effects and dwindling antibiotic resistance.
Selected publications
- Rajendran AA, Guo K, Alvarez-Fernandez A, Gengenbach TR, Velasco MB, Fornerod MJ, Shafique K, Füredi M, Formentín P, Haji-Hashemi H, Guldin S, Voelcker NH, Cetó X & Prieto-Simón B 2024, 'A new class of porous silicon electrochemical transducers built from pyrolyzed polyfurfuryl alcohol', Materials Today Advances,vol. 21, 100464.
- Chin GP, Guo K, Vasani R, , Voelcker NH & Prieto-Simón B 2024, 'Carbon-Stabilized Porous Silicon Biosensor for the Ultrasensitive Label-free Electrochemical Detection of Bacterial RNA gene fragments', Biosensors and Bioelectronics X, 100438.
- Ben Jaballah M, Cetó X, Dridi C & Prieto-Simón B 2024, 'Voltammetric electronic tongue for the discrimination of antibiotic mixtures in tap water', Journal of environmental chemical engineering, 12 - 5 -113831.
Selected research activities
- Active grants: DIAG4AMR (Next generation of diagnostics to fight the emergence of antimicrobial resistance) (PID2021) & 2021 SGR 00223
- Executive editor of Analytical Biochemistry; Editorial Board member of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
- Keynote speaker at the 6th International Conference on Soft Materials ICSM 2024
- Research contract with Arquimea (2024) to develop a microneedle wearable sensing patch, and co-supervision of PhD student (Industrial doctorate DI-COF)
- Director of the PhD thesis defended by Anand Ambily Rajendran: Bio-inspired nanochannel platform to support the diagnosis of infectious diseases (URV)
- Member of three international (2 Australia, 1 France) and one national (URV) PhD thesis examination committees
- Rapporteur for the Romanian Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding, Polish Executive Government Agency of National Science Centre, and AEI (technical evaluation committee)
- Research dissemination to primary school students (#100tífiques, FCRI) and broad audience (“Microxerrades de ciència: Recerca pel canvi”, IISPV; “Blau de Prússia” podcast)