The Plaxco Group is a highly interdisciplinary research group in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, headed by Prof. Kevin W. Plaxco. We build bioanalytical sensors and investigate protein biophysics, among other basic and applied research avenues.
A major innovation from the Plaxco group is the Electrochemical Aptamer-Based sensor platform. It is the first ever real-time, high-frequency molecular sensing technology that is both: (1) selective enough to work in situ in the living body and (2) independent of the chemical reactivity of its targets, thus rendering it is generalizable. Using this approach, we have demonstrated the seconds or even sub-second resolve measurement of multiple drugs, metabolites and biomarkers in the plasma (veins), cerebrospinal fluid (brains) and interstitial fluid (subcutaneous space) of live rats.
Continuous, real-time molecular measurements in the living body
The high-frequency, real-time information provided by EAB sensors provides unprecedented opportunities to measure, understand, and even control molecules in the living body. For example, using the real-time concentration information provided by EAB sensors we have demonstrated closed-loop, feedback-control over multiple therapeutics, ensuring that drugs characterized by dangerously narrow therapeutic windows or highly complex, time-varying optimal plasma time courses can be delivered safely and effectively.
Biomolecules on surfaces
Biomolecules interact with surfaces in many and varied ways. For example, while biomolecules frequently associate with -and remain folded and functional on- surfaces in the cell, they tend to unfold on, adhere to, and lose function at artificial surfaces, significantly reducing the extent to which we can blend biomolecules with such surfaces to create new technologies. Thus motivated, we have developed novel methods for measuring the extent to which interactions with well-defined macroscopic surfaces alter the stabilities of specific biomolecules. Using this information we are developing quantitative, predictive theories of protein-surface interactions that we believe will significantly advance our understanding of biology and our ability to employ biomolecules in artificial biotechnologies.
People
Meet the members of the Plaxco Group. Click on icons for specific contact information, and research projects. Main lab contact can be found here.
Principal Investigator
Kevin Plaxco
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Kevin Plaxco
Professor
Director of the Center for Bioengineering
kwp(at)chem.ucsb.edu
(805) 893 5558
My lab studies protein folding and biomolecular engineering. Our goal in these endeavors is both an improved understanding of the folding process and an ability to apply this rapid, highly specific, highly cooperative self-assembly process to the development of nano-scale electronic sensors and adaptable materials.
Postdocs and Research Fellows
Chelsea Brown
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Chelsea Brown
Ph.D. '22 in Behavioural Neuroscience University of California Santa Barbara
cnbrown(at)ucsb.edu
I'm interested in using E-AB sensors to understand neuropharmacology and individual variability in pharmacokinetics. My research aims to improve biosensors for application in clinical use and animal models.
Marlaina Stocco
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Marlaina Stocco
Ph.D. '21 in Neuropharmacology University of Toronto
marlainastocco(at)ucsb.edu
Adapting and implementing biosensors for in vivo in brain measurement of drugs and neurotransmitters in behavioral models of addiction.
Elsi Verrinder
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Elsi Verrinder
Ph.D. '21 in Electrical Engineering Aalto University, Finland
everrinder(at)ucsb.edu
My research focuses on finding different approaches to increase the stability of E-AB sensors in the in vivo environment. These approaches include employing different electrochemical interrogation methods, implementing antifouling agents or coatings into the sensor design and studying alternative substrate materials and linking chemistries for the sensor structure.
Graduate Students
Kayla Wang
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Kayla Wang
Ph.D. Student
Psychological and Brain Sciences
ywang666(at)ucsb.edu
I am primarily interested in exploring the utility of EAB (Electrochemical Aptamer-Based) sensors for neuropharmacology in rodents, in the hopes of getting a better understanding of addiction models and underlying circuitry.
Zeki Duman
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Zeki Duman
Ph.D. Student
Electrical and Computer Engineering
zekiduman(at)ucsb.edu
My research focuses on feedback control for pharmacokinetics models. I am trying to model the drug distribution in the body using the data generated by others in the lab and to apply feedback control algorithms in order to attain certain drug levels in the body for a prolonged period of time.
Matthew McDonough
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Matthew McDonough
Ph.D. Candidate
Statistics and Applied Probability
mcdonough(at)pstat.ucsb.edu
My primary research focus is developing new statistical methods to meaningful and interesting problems in the applied sciences, promoting cross-disciplinary research between different fields. More recently, I have been evaluating the adequacy of commonly used pharmacokinetic compartment models on time-dense pharmacology datasets generated by others in the group.
Nicole Emmons
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Nicole Emmons
Ph.D. Student
Psychology and Brain Sciences
nicoleemmons(at)ucsb.edu
My interests involve adapting EAB sensors for subcutaneous application, in hopes of creating a viable, minimally invasive platform for the detection of both therapeutics and recreational drugs in vivo and to pave the route towards clinical deployment.
I am working on developing new E-AB sensors towards targets of our interest, which include Li+, tryptophan and cocaine. I also am working on systematic methods to enhance the E-AB sensor performance. Specifically, I do this by correlating measurements of circular dichroism with E-AB sensor electrochemical signals. The final goal of my research is to apply E-AB sensor to living animal research and in the future clinical research.
Murat Kaan Erdal
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Murat Kaan Erdal
Ph.D. Candidate
Electrical and Computer Engineering
m_erdal(at)ucsb.edu
My research focuses pharmacokinetics models and how to use them. I am using the data generated by others in the group to learn about the pharmacokinetics of drugs with high precision. This allows us to model the drug distribution in the body. I then design feedback control algorithms informed by these models so that we can achieve therapeutic levels of the drug for a prolonged time with high sensitivity.
Kevin Honeywell
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Kevin Honeywell
Ph.D. Student
Psychology and Brain Sciences
honeywell(at)ucsb.edu
I am testing the in vivo viability and efficacy of electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors for small molecules including serotonin. The aim of the serotonin project is to measure serotonin in a rat model of serotonergic drug taking including drugs of abuse and pharmaceuticals. My ultimate goal is to explore changes in brain serotonin levels in a rat model of addiction.
Julia Chung
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Julia Chung
Ph.D. Candidate
Biomolecular Science and Engineering
juliachung(at)ucsb.edu
I am broadly interested in leveraging electrochemical approaches to preserve measurement precision for single-particle nanoimpacts and for the electrochemical aptamer-based (EAB) sensor platform. My research focus in the Plaxco lab is to adapt existing surface coupling chemistries to (i) expand the substrate scope of working electrodes and (ii) support the binding-induced folding of EAB sensors.
Laboratory Technicians
Jenny Gibson
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Jenny Gibson
Junior Specialist
Institute of Collaborative Biotechnologies
jgibson(at)ucsb.edu
Under the leadership of Dr. Kaylyn Leung, I am working with EAB sensors used for creatinine detection towards medical implementation in humans as a real-time monitor for kidney-related diseases. I am also working to identify the cause of biofouling in EAB sensors that result in their loss of signal.
List of Alumni
Dr. Kaylyn Leung, Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellow '19-'23
Dr. Julian Gerson, Ph.D.'22, Postdoctoral Fellow '22-'23
Kon Son, Visiting Grad student '22
Dr. Charlotte Flatebo, Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellow '21-'22
Adriana (Peachy) Billante, Undergraduate '22
Dr. Simona Ranolla, Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '21-'22
Dr. Erica del Grosso , Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '21
Alex Downs, Ph.D. '21
Dr. Gabriel Ortega, Postdoctoral Fellow '16-'21
Dr. Alejandro Chamorro Garcia, Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '19-'21
Dr. Martin Kurnik, Assistant Project Scientist '19-'21, Postdoctoral Fellow '14-'19
...Nathan Ogden, Ph.D. '19
Ava 'Shruti' Greenwood, Master '19
Dr. Philippe Dauphin Ducharme, NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow '15-'19
Dr. Andrea Idili, Postdoctoral Fellow '16-'19
Eric Pang, Undergraduate '19
Dr. Claudio Parolo, Beatriu de Pinós Postdoctoral Fellow '16-'18
Dr. Netzahualcóyotl 'Netz' Arroyo, Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellow '15-'18
Jacob Somerson, Ph.D. '18
Dr. Andrew Csordas, Post Doc '17-'18
Megan Larisch, Master '17
Deby Fapyane, Visiting International Student Autumn '17
Alessandra Troina, Visiting International Student Autumn '17
Amanda Caceres, Chemistry Undergraduate '17
Chase Hawes, Chemistry Undergraduate '17
Dr. Hui Li, Marie Curie Fellow '14-'17
Ramces Gonzalez,ARC Summer Research Program '16
Stefano Cinti, Visiting Scholar '16
Di Kang,Ph.D. '16
Hannah Kallewaard-Lum,Master '16
Yanxian Li,Chemistry undergraduate '15
Claire Tran,Chemistry undergraduate '15
Dr. Emir Yasun, Post Doc '14-'15
Christopher Bellingham,Chemistry undergraduate '15
Mackenzie Lucero, EUREKA Summer Intern '15
Luke Walls-Smith, B.S. in Biochemistry '14
Anna Simon, Ph.D. '15
Boitumelo 'Tumi' Fanampe, Visiting Fulbright Scholar 2014
Dr. Xiuhai Mao, Winter 2014 Visiting International Researcher
Eric Rinehart, Summer 2013 SURF Fellow
Gianluca Adornetto, Visiting International Student Summer '13
Colin Moore, Visiting International Student Spring '13
Camille Lawrence, Ph.D. '13
Helena Montón Domingo, Visiting International Student Spring '13
Herschel Watkins, Ph.D. '08-'13
Simona Ranallo , Visiting International Student Fall '12
Dr. Alexis Vallée-Bélisle, Post Doc '07-'12
Andrea Idili , Visiting International Student Summer '12
Kaisha Benjamin, SABRE Intern, B.S. Chemical Engineering '13
Amanda Goley, Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. Biochemistry '12
Zoe Swank, Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. Biochemistry '12
Dina Niculaes, Visiting Student '11-'12
Dr. Adriana Patterson, Ph.D. '12
Dr. Fan Xia, Post Doc '09-'12
Dr. Vinh Nguyen, Post Doc '09-'12
Eva Gonzalez Fernandez, International Visiting Student 2012
Alessandro Porchetta, Visiting International Student Fall '11
Dr. Andrew J. Bonham, Post Doc '10-'11
Dr. Ryan White, Post Doc '07-'11
Kelly Chuh , Undergraduate Researcher, BS '11 Biochemistry
Erin Miller, Undergraduate Researcher, BS '11
Dr. Aaron Rowe, Ph.D. '11
Dr. Xiaolei Zuo, Post Doc '08-'10
Dr. Kevin Cash, Ph.D. '09
Dr. Arica Lubin, Ph.D. '09
Dr. Takanori Uzawa , Post Doc '06-'09
Dr. Yi Xiao; Post Doc '04-'08
Dr. Jing Xu, Ph.D. '03-'08
Brook Vander Stoep Hunt (Barajas), Undergraduate Researcher, BS Microbiology '07
Dr. Kenneth J. Oh , PhD '07
Dr. Francesco Ricci , Post Doc '05-'07
Dr. Rebecca Lai , Post Doc '03-'07
Dr. Brian Baker , Post Doc '03-'06
Dr. Miguel de los Rios, Ph.D. '99-'05
Dr. Jonathan E. Kohn , PhD '05
Dr. Evan McCarney , PhD '05
Dr. Blake Gillespie , Post Doc '99-'03
Publications
In lieu of a long list of publications listed on this website, an updated list of publications can be found on
Google Scholar
Contact
If you are interested in working in the Plaxco Lab, trying to sell lab equipment, or just wanting to know where we work, our contact info is below.
Address
PI Office: Room 3002
Lab Office: Room 3209
Center for Bioengineering
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara 93106
Email
PI: kwp(at)ucsb.edu
Phone
PI Office: (805) 893 5558 Lab Office: (805) 893 5845
laxco Lab
