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Albena Ivanisevic
Associate Professor—Analytical/Materials Chemistry and Biomedical Engi(Courtesy)
Email: albena@purdue.edu
Phone: 765-496-3676
Office: MJIS 3035
For Professor Ivanisevic's individual Home Page click here.
Our research efforts are centered on using surface techniques to immobilize biomolecules on inorganic and tissue surfaces. The research utilizes a broad perspective on problems in chemistry, materials and biomedical engineering and is aimed to address the need to understand how to manipulate and tailor the properties of surfaces for the fabrication of better sensor and tissue platforms.
1) Fabrication and Characterization of III-V Semiconductor Surfaces Composed of Lithographically Defined Biomolecular Structures. The work has focused on the fundamental surface chemistry that needs to be understood in order to produce chemically functionalized microfabricated sensors. The questions addressed are centered on two main themes: i) the development of approaches to pattern biomolecules; and ii) the validation of a unified analytical framework to test the properties of the lithographic structures. Unconventional lithography methods are being used to accomplish the goals in the first theme. Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy and nanoindentation are being utilized to accomplish the goals in the second theme and understand the chemical composition, molecular conformation and mechanical properties of the biomimetic lithographic features. The knowledge gained throughout this work can lead to reliable procedures to functionalize microfabricated devices.
2) Massively Parallel Manufacturing of Nanoscale Wires with Magnetic and Metallic Properties: The fabrication of small junctions and wires is important since the advancement of modern technologies is directly related to our ability to manufacture devices composed of single molecular components. In this project Prof. Ivanisevic’s group has utilized a long biomolecule, DNA, as a scaffold for the fabrication of magnetic and metallic nanowires. Such wires are placed on optoelectronically important surfaces and used for the construction of nanoscale gaps on the order of a few nanometers. The gaps are manufactured using endonucleases which are enzymes capable of cutting the DNA in a site-specific fashion despite the presence of magnetic materials on the surface. Our strategy is useful for real device applications because the fabrication process is compatible with standard semiconductor technology and can be tailored to make gaps with variable sizes. This is possible because the cutting location(s) along the wire are directly related to the programmable code of the DNA used as a template. After optimization, the cost of the fabrication process can be very low since one utilizes no equipment. In addition, only small amounts of biological materials are used to produce a number of gaps along numerous wires placed on large surface areas.
3) High-Resolution and -Throughput AFM Characterization and Lithographic Tools for Tissue Engineering Applications. We have demonstrated that tissue surfaces can be modified using unconventional lithographic approaches and characterized by surface techniques traditionally employed only for surveying “hard” inorganic materials. All the studies in this project target the need to develop a set of new lithographic and characterization protocols that can be used to design, fabricate and modify scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. The specific aims are geared to adapt scanning probe lithography techniques for the high-throughput fabrication of high-resolution surface templates that can be used as supports for tissue regeneration. Scanning probe lithography has the potential to provide the resolution in terms of dimensions and chemical functionalities, and can serve many tissue engineering needs ranging from studies geared towards understanding fundamental structural and functional properties to regeneration of tissues and complex organs. The lithographic tool and procedures can be easily adapted to regenerate multiple types of cells by producing templates with appropriate biomolecules that promote adhesion, growth, proliferation and differentiation. We have published the first report that used AFM lithography to register biomolecules on tissue derived scaffolds without compromising its natural architecture. The long- term goal of this work is to fully validate this methodology and utilize it to fabricate improved scaffold surfaces.
Education
B.S., 1996, Drake University; Ph.D., 2000, University of Wisconsin-Madison; NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, 2000-2002, Northwestern University.Selected Publications
- Cho Y.;Shi, R. Y.;Ivanisevic, A.;Ben Borgens, R., A mesoporous silica nanosphere-based drug delivery system using an electrically conducting polymer . Nanotechnology 2009 , 20 , -.
- Slavin J. W. J.;Ivanisevic, A., Dip-pen nanolithography on etched InAs(100) using homogeneous and mixed ink solutions . Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 2009 , 27 , 1215-1217.
- Wampler H. P.;Ivanisevic, A., Nanoindentation of gold nanoparticles functionalized with proteins . Micron 2009 , 40 , 444-448.
- Slavin J. W. J.;Zemlyanov, D.;Ivanisevic, A., Adsorption of amino acids on indium arsenide (100) surfaces: Assessment of passivation capabilities . Surface Science 2009 , 603 , 907-911.


