DEPARTMENT OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES Dr. JENNIFER BENNE, Department Head  | MAJED EL DWEIK
Assistant Professor of Physics
234 Founders Hall
Phone : (573)681-5134
Fax : (573)681-5944 |
Ph.D. in Biological Engineering, University of Missouri - Columbia, Missouri.
B.S. in Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Missouri - Columbia, Missouri.
Current Research Interests
Development of Optical Glucose Nanobiosensor Using Glucose Binding Protein
Worked as project director for developing a novel optical nanobiosensor that operates in the near infrared (NIR) range.
Optical Glucose Biosensor Encapsulated in Erythrocytes
Used an enzymatic nanobiosensors developed in our lab to encapsulate in Red Blood Cells, which will be used as an implantable glucose nanobiosensors.
Development of Optical Glucose Biosensor Operate in the NIR
Conjugation of different fluorescence dye pairs as FRET system for measuring glucose concentration change.
Evaluation of Power Distribution System
Worked on evaluation of Scott and Scott power distribution system software. The project was performed for Missouri Public Service Electric Company in Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri.
The Implantable glucose nanobiosensor has some aspects that need to be investigated further. Development of a flow system to mimic blood flow in a capillary will be the next step for an in vivo detection. The question is about the ability to detect signal from the loaded red blood cells when glucose is introduced to the matrix. Then animal trial could start by choosing an animal model. I have been working on developing and designing the above future work.
This work has the potential for becoming a good project for graduate students and also some aspects could be capstone design projects.
The fundamentals of sensor design will be used in another area of my interest, the detection of bioterrorism such as biological agents, viruses, diseases, pathogens, bacteria, cancer, and aids.
Sensor development has allowed me to gain experience in publishable experimental results. The criteria used in my experiment could be applied in developing a variety of sensors. Implantable sensors are one type but another type are portable and disposable form of sensors that could be used in fields, where the recognition element would be immobilized on a thin film to detect different analytes.
Currently taught courses:
Biotechnology
General Physics I and II
Earth Science
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor of Physics, Lincoln University 2007-present.
Publications
Dweik, M. and Grant, S.; Alexa Fluor 680 and Alexa Fluor 750 as NIR FRET Pair and The Effect of Dextran Size on the FRET labeled Concanavalin A and Dextran Binding. Sensor Letters, to be submitted December 2007.
Dweik, M. and Grant, S.; Development of Nanoprobes as Glucose Biosensors. Proceeding of Nano Science Technology Institute on Optical Sensor, Boston, Massachusetts: Technical Proceedings of the 2006 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 2; pp. 229-231, May 7-11, 2006.
Dweik, M., Grant, S. and Milanick, M; Intracellular Glucose Sensor, University of Missouri, Disclosure No. 06UMC088: Filed with Office of Technology & Special Projects on May 9th, 2006.
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