The Micro-Nano Innovation Lab ("mini lab") investigates convergence science approaches to develop new intelligent sensing and robotic strategies in micro/nano scales.
What we do
The Micro-Nano Innovation Lab ("mini lab") investigates convergence science approaches to develop new intelligent sensing and robotic strategies in micro/nano scales. We study nanotechnology, light-matter interactions, micro-particle dynamics, microscale fluid dynamics, and bioengineering to reach our goal. The research involves the design and manufacture of micro/nano systems for diagnostics (e.g. infections, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases) and microscopic therapies/surgeries (e.g. localised drug delivery, novel minimally invasive procedures).
Why is it important?
Timely identification of illnesses, less intrusive interventions, and precise/personalised treatments in challenging areas within our bodies, like narrow blood vessels, are essential technologies for improved healthcare management. The foundation for empowering these technologies lies in the development of devices capable of sensitively detecting disruptions in microenvironments that impact normal physiology and of precisely addressing these issues via targeted drug delivery, surgery, etc. at the cellular and molecular levels (micro/nano scales). Understanding the pathophysiology and engineering of the designs and functionalities of such devices accordingly is, thus, vital to enhancing current medical technology. Also, this has the potential to drive the development of advanced medical micro-robots with integrated sensing and therapeutic capabilities, offering new opportunities for future advancements in healthcare.
How can it benefit patients?
Early detection of diseases followed by minimally invasive, targeted and personalised therapy can have evident advantages for patients in terms of prognosis, health management, and economic implications. First, it can reduce excessive physical and biochemical alterations to the microenvironments, e.g. scarring after resection, antimicrobial resistance after antibiotics administration, etc., offering a better prognosis with fewer side effects. Micro/nanodevices can also be engineered to be implantable, enabling long-term health monitoring and treatment. Finally, the localised and precise manner of the technology allows efficient planning of the optimal procedures and accurate dosage, resulting in reduced cost.
Meet the team
Masters and Undergraduate Students
- Mr Zhue Jie Tan, MEng in Mechanical Engineering (2026)
Open Vacancies
We are currently recruiting two PhD students (Home/UK only) on the projects listed below, with one Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) position to be advertised shortly within the same research scope — so keep an eye on the announcement!
If you are interested in multidisciplinary engineering at the microscale for the precision manufacturing of medical devices, please email the following to Dr Jang Ah Kim (j.a.kim@imperial.ac.uk):
- cover letter
- academic CV
- transcripts
PhD project areas
- Automated micro-assembly for medical micro-optics
- 5-DOF micro-fabrication on optical fibres for hybrid NIRF–IVUS catheters
Please note: these studentships are open to candidates eligible for Home (UK) fee status. Please confirm your eligibility in your cover letter.
Alumni
- Mr Justin Wong, MRes in Biomedical Research (2025)
- Miss Judy Huang, MEng in Mechanical Engineering (2025)
- Miss Stefani Georgallidou, MRes in Biomedical Research (2024)
Results
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Conference paperKim JA, Wales DJ, Thompson AJ, et al., 2019,
Towards development of fibre-optic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy probes using 2-photon polymerisation for rapid detection of bacteria
, Plasmonics in Biology and Medicine XVI, Publisher: SPIE, ISSN: 0277-786XIn this study, a variety of direct laser written surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) micro-structures, designed for bacteria detection, are presented. Various SERS micro-structures were designed to achieve both a high density of plasmonic hot spots and a strong probability of interaction between the hot spots and the target bacterial cells. Twophoton polymerization was used for initial fabrication of the polymeric skeletons of the SERS micro-structures, which were then coated with a 50 nm-thick gold layer via e-beam evaporation. The micro-structures were fabricated on glass coverslips and were assessed using a confocal Raman microscope. To this end, Rhodamine 6G was used as an analyte under 785 nm laser illumination. The optimal SERS micro-structures showed approximately 7×103 enhancement in Raman signal (analytical enhancement factor, AEF) at a wavenumber of 600 cm-1. Real-time detection of E. coli in solution was demonstrated using the fabricated SERS platform with low laser powers and a short acquisition time (785 nm, 5 mW, 50 ms).
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Journal articleDugasani SR, Paulson B, Ha T, et al., 2018,
Fabrication and optoelectronic characterisation of lanthanide-and metal-ion-doped DNA thin films
, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS, Vol: 51, ISSN: 0022-3727 -
Journal articleDugasani SR, Gnapareddy B, Kim JA, et al., 2017,
Structural stability and electrical characteristic of DNA lattices doped with lanthanide ions
, Current Applied Physics, Vol: 17, Pages: 1409-1414, ISSN: 1567-1739 -
Journal articleShinde M, Qureshi N, Rane S, et al., 2017,
Instantaneous Synthesis of Faceted Iron Oxide Nanostructures Using Microwave Solvothermal Assisted Combustion Technique
, JOURNAL OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY, Vol: 17, Pages: 5024-5030, ISSN: 1533-4880 -
Journal articleKim JA, Park K, Kim C, et al., 2016,
Optical contact force monitoring sensor for cardiac ablation catheters
, Optik, Vol: 127, Pages: 11823-11827, ISSN: 0030-4026© 2016 Modern lifestyles can lead to various lifestyle diseases that have become the most threatening health issues to humans. In particular, heart disease is the leading global cause of death. To diagnose heart disease, cardiac catheterization is frequently conducted. The contact force between the tip of the catheter and tissue is very critical because it determines the success or failure of the procedure. In this work, an optical sensor composed of transparent, flexible, and stretchable PDMS layers forming an air cavity was developed and evaluated. The reflectance of the sensor varied with external applied force depending upon the gap between elastomeric layers placed on the catheter tip. The fabricated sensor showed very low minimum resolution (<0.1 gF), which is desired for the application. A wider dynamic range than that of the present sensor (0–0.6 gF), which is inadequate for the practical application, can be achieved by optimizing the thickness of the flexible layers.
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Journal articleLim YT, Kim T, Kulkarni A, et al., 2016,
High-Purity Amino-Functionalized Graphene Quantum Dots Derived from Graphene Hydrogel
, Nano, Vol: 11, ISSN: 1793-2920© 2016 World Scientific Publishing Company. The unique properties of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) make them interesting candidate materials for innovative applications. Herein, we report a facile method to synthesize amino-functionalized graphene quantum dots (AF-GQDs) by a hydrothermal reaction. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by Hummer's method where ultra-small GO sheets were obtained by a prolonged oxidation process followed by sonication using an ultrasonic probe. Subsequently, graphene hydrogel (GH) was also obtained by a hydrothermal synthesis method. Proper care was taken during synthesis to avoid contamination from water soluble impurities, which are present in the precursor, GO solution. Following the treatment of GH in ammonia, ultra-small amino-functionalized graphene fragments (AF-GQDs) were formed, which detached from the GH to eventually disperse evenly in the water without agglomerating. This modified synthesis process enables the formation of high-purity AF-GQDs (99.14%) while avoiding time-consuming synthesis procedures. Our finding shows that AF-GQDs with sizes less than 5nm were well dispersed. A strong photoluminescence (PL) emission at ∼410nm with 10% PL quantum yield was also observed. These AF-GQDs can be used in many bio applications in view of their low cytotoxicity and strong fluorescence that can be applied to cell imaging.
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Journal articleQin H, Hwang T, Ahn C, et al., 2016,
Chemical Amination via Cycloaddition of Graphene for Use in a Glucose Sensor.
, J Nanosci Nanotechnol, Vol: 16, Pages: 5034-5037, ISSN: 1533-4880Graphene was chemically aminated via cycloaddition. Aziridine-ring linkages were formed by covalently modifying the C-C double bonds in graphene. The aminated graphene presents an enhanced hydrophilicity, the contact angle with water decreases from 80.5 degrees to 58.5 degrees. And the conductivity of aminated graphene exhibits exponential decay as the reaction time increase. If the reaction time is 90 min, the resistance of aminated graphene was increased from -32 Ω to -2744 Ω. Because the amino group has good biocompatibility, the aminated graphene is designed for use as an enzyme sensor platform, such as glucose sensor based on glucose oxidase. The aminated graphene exhibited a good detection response for glucose. The increase in device current is about 12% in 1.2 mg/mL glucose solution.
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Journal articleDugasani SR, Hwang T, Kim JA, et al., 2016,
Metal electrode dependent field effect transistors made of lanthanide ion-doped DNA crystals
, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS, Vol: 49, ISSN: 0022-3727- Author Web Link
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- Citations: 6
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Conference paperKim JA, Kulkarni A, Kim C, et al., 2016,
Fiber optic lateral coupling force sensor for biomedical applications
, 30th Eurosensors Conference, Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, Pages: 1227-1230, ISSN: 1877-7058- Author Web Link
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- Citations: 1
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Journal articleKim M, Min T, Kwon O-K, et al., 2015,
Numerical study on proximal ischemia
, JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vol: 29, Pages: 5523-5529, ISSN: 1738-494X- Author Web Link
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- Citations: 2
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Bessemer Building
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Imperial College
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