Gold Foams as Advanced Biomedical Device Coatings

Dr. Erkin Şeker
Assoc. Professor EE Department, UC Davis, Davis, CA

Cerent Engineering Science Complex, Salazar Hall 2009A
4:00 PM

Abstract - Nanostructured materials offer tremendous opportunities for engineering advanced device components for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Nanoporous gold (np-Au), produced by a nano-scale self-assembly process, is a relatively new material and has mostly attracted attention for catalyst applications due to its high effective surface area, electrical conductivity, and ease of surface functionalization. Surprisingly, the biomedical potential of this material has remained largely untapped. I will first discuss our research efforts to control nano-/micro-scale properties of np-Au and the application of micropatterning techniques for fabricating high-sensitivity multiple electrode arrays for neural electrophysiology studies. In the context of biocompatibility of such devices, I will illustrate how tunable properties of np-Au may be utilized to alleviate adverse biological response to device coatings. To that end, I will specifically focus on np- Au’s drug delivery performance and its interaction with neural tissue as a function of its geometric features and surface chemistry. In another example, I will illustrate np-Au’s diagnostic potential in detecting and purifying nucleic acid biomarkers in complex biological samples. I will conclude the talk with our ongoing efforts toward constructing highthroughput material screening platforms for identifying optimal material properties for emerging applications of np-Au.

Dr. Erkin Seker received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia (UVA) in 2007. Following postdoctoral positions in Chemistry at UVA and Bioengineering at Center for Engineering in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Davis in 2011. As an Associate Professor, he is leading the interdisciplinary Multifunctional Nanoporous Metals research group with the overarching goal of understanding and controlling nanostructured material properties and their interaction with biological systems to develop novel biomedical tools. He is the recipient of Fund for Medical Discovery Award from Massachusetts General Hospital, a University of California Lab Fees Research Grant, and a NSF CAREER Award. He served as an Associate Scientific Advisor for Science Translational Medicine journal, was invited to participate in National Academy of Engineering’s Annual Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium, and was selected as a BMES Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator of 2016.