Ultra Wide Bandwidth Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (UWB-EIS) - a tool for functional biosensing

Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy  (UWB-EIS) has been demonstrated for for the analysis of plant’s cells. It is shown to be an in-vivo, non-destructive sensing of cellular properties at large and specifically for gene expression in living cells. The methods theoretical and experimental setups will be described. Finally Some recent results on using that method for the characterization of  expression of biomolecules in live cells.  We used electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with ssDNA probes to detect the expression the of β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene in aqueous suspensions of S. lycopersicum MSK8 cells. Two kinds of ssDNA probes, one chosen to be complementary to the target and one with a random nucleotide sequence, were functionalized onto AuNPs. The DNA-functionalized AuNPs were then inserted into the cells, and their impedance spectra were studied. The impedance magnitude between frequencies 100 Hz and 10 MHz was noted to be a good indicator of hybridization between the ssDNA probe and the target, with the magnitude observed to be significantly higher (146%) in suspensions with GUS-expressing cells and complementary ssDNA probe.

Bio: 

Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand, The Bernard L. Schwartz chair for nano scale information technologies, Department of Electrical Engineering - Physical electronics and the department of Material science and technology, Faculty of engineering, Tel Aviv University. He is also an endowed chair professor at the Thapar institute for engineering and technology, Patiala, India and the director of the TAU/TIET Food Security center of excellence.
D.Sc. EE 1983, M.Sc. EE 1980, and B.Sc. EE (Summa-cum Laude) 1978, all in the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.  1983-post-doctorate at U.C. Berkeley, CA, USA. 1987- 1989 senior lecturer, the Technion, Israel. 1989-1996 assistant professor Cornell university, Ithaca NY, USA, 1997-2001 Associate professor and since 2001 a full professor at the school of electrical engineering, Physical Electronics department, Tel-Aviv University.
Yosi has been also a Visiting professor, CNR-IMM, Rome, Italy, Visiting Professor, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan and a distinguished international chair professor, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan.  Currently he is visiting professor at the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication, The Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy.
He served in few academic positions including being the Academic Director, Micro Technologies Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, Tel-Aviv university (2000 –2001), the director of Tel-Aviv University research institute for Nano-Science and nano-technologies (2001–2004), Head of the department of Physical Electronics, faculty of Engineering (2007- 2011), the Vice-dean of the faculty of engineering for Industrial relations and with the friends of the faculty in Israel and abroad. He was on the university board of governors (2008-2012), University patent committee (2006-2010), head of the industrial affiliation program, Faculty of engineering (2012) and a member of the board of directors of "RAMOT" by Tel Aviv University (2008-2013). He was (2013-2018) a member of the MAGNET committee promoting basic and generic technologies in Israel, the innovation authority, Ministry of trade and Industry.
Prof. Shacham-Diamand also served as consultant to numerous manufacturing companies such as: Zoran Inc. (1983-1986), Intel Inc. Applied Materials Inc., Nova Instruments Inc., and to numerous investments and holding companies in Israel and abroad. Prof. Shacham-Diamand served on the board of directors of PCB Ltd. (2001-2003), "RAMOT" by Tel Aviv University (2008-2013), TAUVentures Inc. (2018-Now) investment and currently serves on the advisory board of CartaSense Ltd. and SolChip Ltd.
He published 262 journal papers, >400 conference papers in registered proceedings, 7 chapters in books, 30 patents, edited two conference proceedings books, and two books.
His research is in the field of Micro and Nano electronics science and technology; specifically, electroless plating of metals and alloys, interconnect technology for ULSI circuits and flexible electronics, and electrochemical bio sensors the food, medical and agro applications.