NanoBioInteractions & NanoDiagnostics Laboratory

Our research is highly interdisciplinary, bridging nanotechnology with biology, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. We focus on unraveling nano-bio interaction mechanisms, developing biomedical applications of in-house-engineered hybrid nanomaterials and nanozymes, and designing advanced colorimetric sensing strategies for on-field and point-of-care diagnostics.

We have extensive expertise in nanoparticles/nanozymes synthesis and characterization, with a strong interest in the analysis and optimization of their catalytic mechanisms, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties, and design of hybrid nanosystems for nanomedicine applications. We are also active in the development of portable technologies for healthcare, wellness, food safety, and genetic traceability. Our group has pioneered several innovative assays - leveraging isothermal amplification techniques, plasmonic/catalytic nanoparticles, and machine learning - for virus/bacteria detection, water/food safety, and anticounterfeiting applications.

We are strongly committed to technology transfer, with numerous patented technologies, partnerships with industry/startups, and several licensed technologies successfully integrated into commercial products.

• Unravelling catalytic mechanisms of nanozymes
• Development of multifunctional skin patches for anti-inflammatory and wound healing applications
• Development of machine learning empowered colorimetric tests for saliva/urine biomarkers detection
• Development of hybrid nanozymes-based systems for water remediation
• Antioxidant nanozymes for nanomedicine applications
• Development of smart sensors for on-site detection of antiblastic drug contaminations
• Development and characterization of hybrid NP-phage constructs
• Machine learning for smartphone-based diagnostics

1. “Sensitivity-enhanced competitive lateral flow immunoassays by polycaprolactone electrospun stacking pad: estrous determination in whole blood” Biosens. Bioelectron. 271, 117080 (2025).
2. “Screening Oxidoreductase Activities of Nanozymes: Toward Activity-Tailored Guidelines” Small Science 5, 2400487 (2025) (Back Cover article).
3. “Biomimetic plasmonic nanophages by head/tail self-assembling: gold nanoparticle/virus interactions” ACS Nano 18, 21302-15 (2024).
4. “Nano-biointeractions of functional nanomaterials: the emerging role of inter-organelle contact sites, targeting, and signaling” Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2408436 (2024) (Cover Article).
5. “Platinum nanozyme probes for cellular imaging by electron microscopy” Small Science 4, 2400085 (2024) (Inside Cover article).
6. “Metrology of Platinum Nanozymes: Mechanistic Insights and Analytical Issues” Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2315587 (2024) (Back Cover article).
7. “Biomolecular corona of gold nanoparticles: the urgent need for strong roots to grow strong branches” Small 20, 2306474 (2024) (Cover Article).
8. “Platinum nanozymes counteract photoreceptor degeneration and retina inflammation in a light-damage model of age-related macular degeneration” ACS Nano 17, 22800-20 (2023).
9. “Anti-inflammatory potential of platinum nanozymes: mechanisms and perspectives” Nanoscale 15, 14284-300 (2023) (Cover Article).
10. “Catalytic bio-switch of Platinum Nanozymes: mechanistic insights of ROS scavenging in the Neuro Vascular Unit” Nano Letters 23, 4660-8 (2023).
11. “Inter-organelle contact-sites mediate the intracellular antioxidant activity of platinum nanozymes: a new perspective in cell-nanoparticle interaction and signalling” ACS Appl. Mater. Interf. 15, 3882-93 (2023).
12. “Nanocatalyst-enabled physically unclonable functions as smart anticounterfeiting tags with AI-aided smartphone authentication” ACS Appl. Mater. Interf. 14, 25898 (2022).
13. “Dispersion state phase diagram of citrate-coated metallic nanoparticles in saline solutions” Nature Communications 11, 5422 (2020).
14. “Platinum nanozyme-enabled colorimetric determination of total antioxidant level in saliva” Analytical Chemistry 92, 8660-4 (2020).
15. “Nanocatalyst/nanoplasmon-enabled detection of organic mercury: a one-minute visual test” Angewandte Chemie 58, 10285-9 (2019).