Prof. Dermot Brabazon, Dublin City University，Ireland

Title

Nanoparticle functionalized laser patterned substrate: an innovative route towards low cost biomimetic platforms 

Abstract

Integration of nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing processes presents an attractive route to produce devices for adaptive biomedical device technologies. However, tailoring biological, physical, and chemical properties often leads to complex processing steps and therefore to high manufacturing cost impeding future scalability. Herein, novel laser based approaches are introduced to manufacture low cost biocompatible polymer substrates functionlized with ultrapure nanoparticles. Laser direct writing was performed to create micron-sized patterns on 188 m cyclic olefin polymer substrates using a picosecond pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. The pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) process was exploited in this work to prepare colloidal solutions of ultrapure nanoparticles to impart bio functionality onto laser patterned surfaces. Combining the laser patterns and their modification with PLAL-nanoparticles resulted in a functional and biocompatible substrate for biosensing applications. Our in vitro cell viability studies using a model cell line (human skin keratinocyte, HaCaT) suggest that these nanoparticles immobilizes on the surfaces function as a biomimetic platform with the ability to interact with different biological entities (e.g. DNA, antibodies, etc.)

Biography

Prof. Dermot Brabazon received his BEng (Mechanical Engineering) and PhD (Materials Science) from University College Dublin. From 1995 to 2000 he worked with Materials Ireland, a state materials science research centre. From 2000 he was appointed as a lecture at Dublin City University, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006, Deputy Head of School in 2007, Associate Dean for Research in 2009, and to Professor in 2014. In recognition of his academic achievements and contributions to development of engineering technologies, he was conferred with the President’s Award for Research in 2009 and Commercialization award in 2015 and 2017. Since 2012, he has been Director of the Advanced Processing Technology Research Centre at DCU and is currently Deputy-Director of I-Form, the national centre focused on development of Advanced Manufacturing technologies. He has published over 200 internationally peer reviewed papers. His research is focused in the areas of materials and processing technologies, including Additive Manufacturing, Near Net Shape Forming, Laser Processing and Separation technologies. These overlapping activities are focused toward the development of advanced processing knowledge to enable improved production capability and quality for achieving broad societal benefit.