Speaker:
Dr. Waleed Shinwari
University of Toronto
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
Title:
Modeling and Simulation of FET-based Biosensors for Lab-on-Chip Applications
Date:
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Time:
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
Location:
E5 5106/5128
Abstract:
During the past decade, the interest of biologists and health care
practitioners has peaked in label-free and portable biosensors. Such
biosensors would allow early detection of pathogens in food and waterborne
supplies, as well as making gene expression profiling experiments
much more accessible to laboratories. Semiconductors provide excellent
substrates for the fabrication of such devices. However, most of the
experiments conducted on test designs are not guided and do not aim
to optimize the performance of the biosensors but merely to assess the
feasibility of the design.
This presentation will focus on the theoretical developments and research
progress in the mathematical modeling of FET-based DNA biosensors. The
main mathematical equations that describe the DNA biosensor's
operation are given, and the results of simulations are presented, with
several conclusions that help guide attempts at optimizing the design
and increasing the sensitivity of the biosensors. Several models are
shown, including static, small signal AC, and Monte-Carlo models of
the biosensors, with each simulation shedding light on a particular
aspect of the design. These simulations show that the sensitivity of
these biosensors is the result of several physical phenomena that act
together, and that one cannot ignore these minor details when building
successful working models for these biosensors.
Biography:
Dr. Waleed Shinwari completed a double major in Electrical Engineering and
Computer Engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
in 2003. His specialization was in the area of signal processing and
communication electronics, as well as design and synthesis of digital
systems. From 2003-2005, he worked for Advanced Electronics Company,
building custom industrial automation solutions and fleet management
software and algorithms. He completed his M.A.Sc and PhD degrees from
McMaster University in 2007 and 2011, respectively. He was a visiting
scientist at the National Research Council, Ottawa, from Dec. 2008 to
March 2009, and a visiting researcher at Pohang Institute of Science
and Technology (POSTECH) in August 2009. He is currently a post-doctoral
research fellow at the University of Toronto, SunnyBrook Health Sciences
Center. He is the author of over ten peer-reviewed journal publications,
and has 2 pending patents on a novel modulo-multiplier, as well as novel
circuits for DNA biosensors. His current research interests include
physical and mathematical modeling of devices and systems, quantum
electronics, FPGA and digital design, embedded and high-level software,
and middleware and software interface design.
