A Science Talk: From the Death of an Icon to the Birth of a Physical Principle for Ultra-sensitive label-free Bio-sensing


The Department of Physics and Astronomy welcomes Stephen Arnold, a Professor of Physics and Chemistry at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, to present the latest in a series of "Science Talks" open to the public. From Professor Stephen Arnold: The announcement (in 2002) that the death of my favorite teacher and arguably the world’s most prolific science fact and fiction writer (Asimov, >500 books) had been from an HIV infection (contracted during open heart surgery) redirected my laboratory’s efforts to inventing a means for immediate detection of the individual virions in blood. Although trials in serum may not have begun, the physical principle that evolved is likely the most ubiquitous approach for research in ultra-sensitive label-free sensing. In my lecture I will trace the evolution of the so-called Reactive Sensing Principle in Micro-cavity frequency shift detection from its inception in 2003 and discuss how it is connected intimately to Opto-mechanics. With time permitting I will discuss how Nano-optics, specifically Plasmonic Enhancement can play an important role in reducing the detectable mass to the single protein level.

Date:

February 20, 2013

Time:

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM

College:

Hunter College

Address:

68th St. and Lexington Ave.
Manhattan

Building:

North

Room:

1311

Phone:

212-772-4806

Website:

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/physics/home

Admission:

Free