Nanobioelectronics & Biosensors Group

Arben Merkoçi

ICREA Professor. Group Leader.

arben.merkoci.icn (at) uab.es / +34 935868014 / fax +34 935813797/ secretariat 4408 / See picture

Short CV

• ICREA Research Professor & Group Leader, Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group, Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology (ICN), Barcelona, since 2008.
• Research Professor & Group Leader, Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group, Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology (ICN), Barcelona, since 2006.
• Ramon y Cajal Researcher, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 2004-2006.
• Senior Scientist & Laboratory manager of Sensochip Laboratory, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, NMSU, New Mexico, USA, 2002.
• Invited Professor, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 1997-2001, 2003.
• Postdoctoral fellow, Polytechnic University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 1995.
• Postdoctoral fellow, Dipartimento di Chimica Analitica ed Inorganica, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Italy, 1993-1994.
• Lecturer & Scientific researcher, Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Tirana, Albania, 1986-1992, 1996.
• PhD, Tirana University, 1986-1991 (Spanish equivalency received by MEC, 2000).
• Diploma in Chemistry at Tirana University, 1981-1986 (Spanish equivalency received by MEC, 2000).

Full curriculum

Catalan (AQU) & Spanish (ANECA) research accreditations

• Advanced research accreditation (AQU Catalunya) 2005.
• Professor Dr. accreditation (ANECA) 2003.

Research interests

Bionanostructures, Nanomaterials with electrochemical properties, DNA sensors, Immunosensors, Enzyme based sensors, Carbon Nanotubes for sensor applications.

Awards and memberships

• Member of the Academy of Science of Albania (from 2008)
• Winner of the Electrochemistry Communications Award 2005, in acknowledgment of high quality and best cited paper: “Low-potential stable NADH detection at carbon-nanotube modified glassy carbon electrodes, Electrochemistry Communications, 4 743-746 (2002)
• Member of Catalan Society of Chemistry
• Member of New York Academy of Science, 1996
• Member of American Electrochemical Society, 1996
• Ministry of Science and Education of Spain visiting Professor Scholarships, 2001, 2002, 2003.
• Generalitat of Catalunya Visiting Professor Scholarship, December 2000-December 2001.
• Generalitat of Catalunya postdoctoral Scholarship, January 1995-January 1996
• University of Padova Scholarship, given on the base of competition between researchers of East European Countries and Austria, April 1993-October 1994.
• Hungarian Academy of Sciences Scholarship (by special recommendation of Prof. Pungor), and University of Ioannina (Greece) Scholarship during 1992 - 1993

Projects

• “Nanosystems for early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases (NADINE)” (FP7, CP-IP 246513-2).
• “Nanobiosensores para marcadores tumorales” (MICINN, IT2009-0092).
• “Multifunctional water treatment system based on ultrasensitive detection and purification nanoplatforms for removal of environmental pollutants” (MICINN, PLE2009-0050).
• “Sistema de diagnòstic precoç càncer de mama” (CIDEM, VALTEC08-1-0007).
• “Desarrollo de nuevas alternativas de detección basadas en nanomateriales como plataformas universales y emergentes de interés para biosensores” (MEC, MAT2008-03079).
• “NANOTECHNOLOGIES IN BIOMEDICINE”, CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010, CONVOCATORIA 2006, COORDINATOR: Manuel Ricardo Ibarra García, Nanoscience Institute of Aragon, Spain.
• “WATER RISK MANAGEMENT IN EUROPE” (). Project Acronym: WARMER, Project Reference:FP6-034472-2005-IST-5, Contract Type: Specific Targeted Research, Project (STREP), Start Date: 01/09/2006, Duration: 36 months, End Date: 31/08/2009. Coordinator: Dr. Luca Sanfilippo, Systems Technology Advance Srl, SYSTEA, Italy.
• “Nanopartículas modificadas para análisis proteómico rápido basado en inmunoensayos con tecnologías de codificación electroquímica multiplex y lab-on-a-chip” (MEC, MAT2005-03553/).
• “Los Quantum Dots modificados biológicamente como bionanoestructuras inteligentes para el desarrollo de nuevos sistemas de detección, incluyendo su integración en un lab-on-a-chip (MEC, MAT2004-05164)
• “Desarrollo de nuevas bionanoestructuras inteligentes para biosensores moleculares de interés medioambiental, Fundación Ramón Areces, XIII Concurso nacional para la adjudicación de ayudas a la investigación científica y técnica. 2004-2007

Selected publications

Nanoparticles-based strategies for DNA, protein and cell sensors

Arben Merkoçi, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, In Print (2010)

Gold nanoparticle-based electrochemical magnetoimmunosensor for rapid detection of anti-hepatitis B virus antibodies in human serum

Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Marisa Maltez-da Costa, Christian Sánchez-Espinel, Belén Díaz-Freitas, Jonathan Fernández-Suarez, África González-Fernández, Arben Merkoçi, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, In Print (2010)

Immunosensing using nanoparticles

Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Claudio Parolo, Arben Merkoçi, Materials Today, 13, p. 24-34 (2010)

Structural characterization by confocal laser scanning microscopy and electrochemical study of multi-walled carbon nanotube tyrosinase matrix for phenol detection

Guix M., Pérez-López B., Sahin M., Roldán M., Ambrosi A., Merkoçi A., Analyst, 135, p. 1918-1925 (2010)

Aptamers based electrochemical biosensor for protein detection using carbon nanotubes platforms

Pinar Kara, Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Marisa Maltez-da Costa, Maria Guix, Mehmet Ozsoz, Arben Merkoçi, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, In print (2010)

Aminopyrazole based ligand induces gold nanoparticle formation and remains available for heavy metals sensing. A simple ‘mix and detect’ approach

Gemma Aragay, Josefina Pons, Josep Ros, Arben Merkoçi, Langmuir 26, p. 10165-10170 (2010)

Electrochemical detection of proteins using nanoparticles: applications to diagnostics

A. de la Escosura-Muñiz, A. Merkoçi, Expert Opinion on Medical Diagnostics 4(1), p. 21-37 (2010)

Label-free voltammetric immunosensor using a nanoporous membrane based platform

Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Arben Merkoçi, Electrochemistry Communications, 12, p. 859-863 (2010)

Stable and sensitive flow through monitoring of phenol using a carbon nanotube based screen printed biosensor

G. Alarcón, M. Guix, A. Ambrosi, M.T. Ramirez Silva, M.E. Palomar Pardave , A. Merkoçi, Nanotechnology 21, p. 245502 (2010)

Enhanced Gold Nanoparticle based ELISA for Breast Cancer Biomarker

Adriano Ambrosi, Federico Airò, Arben Merkoçi, Analytical Chemistry, Anal. Chem. 82, p. 1151–1156 (2010)

Surface Characterizations of Mercury Based Electrodes with the Resulting Micro and Nano Amalgam Wires and Spheres Formations May Reveal Both Gained Sensitivity and Faced Non-Stability in Heavy Metal Detection

Gemma Aragay, Anna Puig-Font, Miquel Cadevall, and Arben Merkoçi, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114, p.9049-9055 (2010)

Rapid identification of tumour cells using a novel electrocatalytic method based in gold nanoparticles

Alfredo de la Escosura Muñiz, Belén Díaz Freitas, Christian Sánchez Espinel, África González-Fernández, Arben Merkoçi, Analytical Chemistry, 81, p. 10268-10274 (2009)

Direct electrochemical stripping detection of cystic fibrosis related DNA linked through cadmium sulphide quantum dots

Sergio Marin, Arben Merkoçi, Nanotechnology 20, 055101 (6pp) doi:10.1088/0957-4484/20/5/055101 (2009)

Controlling the electrochemical deposition of silver onto gold nanoparticles: Reducing interferences and increasing the sensitivity of magnetoimmuno assays

Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Marisa Maltez-da Costa, Arben Merkoçi, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 24, p. 2475-2482 (2009)

Lab-on-a-chip for ultrasensitive detection of carbofuran by enzymatic inhibition with replacement of enzyme using magnetic beads

Xavier Llopis, Martin Pumera, Salvador Alegret, Arben Merkoçi, Lab Chip 9, 213–218. (2009)

Electrochemical Immunosensing Using Micro and Nanoparticles

Alfredo de la Escosura, Adriano Ambrosi, Salvador Alegret, Arben Merkoçi, Chapter 10 at Avraham Rasooly and Keith E. Herold (eds.), Methods in Molecular Biology: Biosensors and Biodetection, © Humana Press (DOI:10.1007/978-1-60327-569-9_9), Vol. 504, p. 145-155 (2009)

Electrochemical Detection of DNA Hybridization Using Micro and Nanoparticles

Maria Teresa Castañeda, Salvador Alegret, Arben Merkoçi, Chapter 9 at Avraham Rasooly and Keith E. Herold (eds.), Methods in Molecular Biology: Biosensors and Biodetection, © Humana Press (DOI:10.1007/978-1-60327-569-9_9), Vol. 504, p. 127-143. (2009)

Sensitive and stable monitoring of lead and cadmium in seawater using screen-printed electrode and electrochemical stripping analysis

Raquel Güell, Gemma Aragay, Clàudia Fontàs, Enriqueta Anticó, Arben Merkoçi, Anal. Chim. Acta 627, 219–224 (2008)

ICP-MS - a powerful technique for quantitative determination of gold nanoparticles without previous dissolving

Roza Allabashi, Wolfgang Stach, Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Leticia Liste Calleja, Arben Merkoçi, Journal of Nanoparticles Research, In press, DOI 10.1007/s11051-008-9561-2 (2008)

Electrochemical analysis with nanoparticle based biosystems

Alfredo de la Escosura-Muñiz, Adriano Ambrosi, Arben Merkoçi, Trends in Analytical Chemistry 27 (7), 568-584 (2008)

Enhanced host guest electrochemical recognition of dopamine using cyclodextrin in the presence of carbon nanotubes

G. Alarcon Angeles, B. Pérez López, M. Palomar-Pardave, M. T. Ramírez-Silva, S. Alegret, A. Merkoçi, Carbon 46, 898–906 (2008)

Nanobiomaterials in Electroanalysis

Arben Merkoçi, Editorial, Electroanalysis 19, 739 – 741 (2007)

Nanobiomaterial Application in Electrochemical Analysis

Arben Merkoçi, Special Issue of Electroanalysis on Nanobiomaterials, Wiley InterScience, Volume 19, Issue 7-8, April (2007)

Electrochemical biosensing with nanoparticles

Arben Merkoçi, FEBS Journal 274 310–316 (Invited review for the MINIREVIEW SERIES Nanobiotechnology by Itamar Willner) (2007)

Detection of cadmium sulphide nanoparticles by using screen-printed electrodes and a handheld device

Arben Merkoçi, Luiz Humberto Marcolino-Junior, Sergio Marín, Orlando Fatibello-Filho, Salvador Alegret, Nanotechnology 18 Art. No. 035502 JAN 24 (On-line publication). (2007)

Electrochemical genosensors for biomedical applications based on gold nanoparticles

M.T. Castañeda, A. Merkoçi, M. Pumera, S. Alegret, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 22, 1961-1967. (2007)

Carbon Nanotubes: Exciting New Materials for Microanalysis and Sensing

Arben Merkoçi ed., Special Issue in Microchimica Acta, Springer Verlag Wien, 152, (2006)

Carbon nanotube-epoxy composites for electrochemical sensing

Martin Pumera, Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret, Sensors & Actuators B, 113 617–622 (2006)

Crystal and electrochemical properties of water dispersed CdS nanocrystals obtained via reverse micelles and arrested precipitation

Arben Merkoçi, Sergio Marín, María Teresa Castañeda, Martin Pumera, Josep Ros, Salvador Alegret, Nanotechnology 17 2553–2559 (2006)

Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis with a Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube/Gold Electrochemical Detector for Determination of Aminophenols and Neurotransmiters

Martin Pumera, Xavier Llopis, Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret,Microchimica Acta, 152, 261–265 (2006)

Carbon nanotubes in analytical sciences. A review

Arben Merkoçi, Microchimica Acta, 152, 157–174 (2006)

New materials for electrochemical sensing VII. Chip microfluidic platforms

Martin Pumera, Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 25, 219-235 (2006)

Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis-Electrochemistry with Rigid Graphite-Epoxy Composite Detector

Martin Pumera, Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret, Electroanalysis, 18, 207 – 210 (2006)

Glucose Biosensor Based on Carbon Nanotube Epoxy Composites

Briza Pérez, Martin Pumera, Manel del Valle, Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret, Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 5, 1694–1698 (2005)

DNA detection platforms by using nanoparticles as quantitation tags or encoded hosts

Arben Merkoçi, G.I.T. Laboratory Journal Europe, 9 48-50 (2005)

Magnetically trigged direct electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization based Au67 Quantum Dot – DNA – paramagnetic bead conjugate

Martin Pumera, Maria Teresa Castañeda, Maria Isabel Pividori, Ramon Eritja, Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret, Langmuir 21, 9625-9629 (2005)

New materials for electrochemical sensing VI. Carbon nanotubes

Arben Merkoçi, Martin Pumera, Xavier Llopis, Briza Perez, Manuel del Valle, Salvador Alegret, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 24, 826-838 (2005)

Direct voltammetric determination of gold nanoparticles using graphite-epoxy composite electrode

Martin Pumera, Marta Aldavert, Cris Mills Arben Merkoçi, Salvador Alegret, Electrochimica Acta, 50 3702–3707 (2005)

Toward an ICPMS-linked DNA assay based on gold nanoparticles immunoconnected through peptide sequences

A. Merkoçi, M. Aldavert, Gema Tarrasón, Ramon Eritja, S. Alegret, Analytical Chemistry, 77,6500-6503 (2005)

New materials for electrochemical sensing. V. Nanoparticles for DNA labelling

A. Merkoçi, M. Aldavert, S. Marín, S. Alegret, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 24 341-349 (2005)

Nanoscience and nanotechnology in Catalonia

S.Alegret, A.Merkoçi ed., Special Issue of Contribution to Science, Printed by Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona (2005)

Toward nanoanalytical chemistry. Case of nanomaterial integration into (bio)sensing systems

A.Merkoçi, S. Alegret, Contribution to Science, 3 (1), 57–66 (2005)

Electrochemical Coding Technology for simultaneous detection of multiple DNA targets

Joseph Wang, Guodong Liu, and Arben Merkoçi, Journal of American Chemical Society, 125 3214-3215 (2003)

Composite and biocomposite materials for electrochemical sensing

S. Alegret and A. Merkoçi, S. Alegret, ed., Integrated analytical systems, Amsterdam, Elsevier, pp 377-412 ISBN: 0-444-51037-0 (NL) (2003)

Electroactive beads for ultrasensitive DNA detection

Joseph Wang, Ronen Polsky, Arben Merkoci and Kathy L. Turner, Langmuir, 19 989-991 (2003)

Particle-based Detection of DNA Hybridization using Electrochemical Stripping Measurements of an iron Tracer

Joseph Wang, Guodong Liu, and Arben Merkoci, Analytical Chimica Acta, 482 149-155 (2003)

Low-potential stable NADH detection at carbon-nanotube modified glassy carbon electrodes

Joseph Wang, Mustafa Musameh, Arben Merkoci, Yuehe Lin, Electrochemistry Communication, 4 743-746 (2002)

Electrochemical stripping detection of DNA hybridization based on cadmium sulfide nanoparticle tags

Joseph Wang, Guodong Liu, Ronen Polsky and Arben Merkoci, Electrochemistry Communication, 4 722-726 (2002)

Invited guest editior of special journal issues and books

1. A.Merkoçi, S.Alegret ed., “Analytical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology”, Guest Editors of the Special Issue of Contribution to Science, 2005
2. A.Merkoçi, Ed. “Carbon nanotubes in Chemistry”, Special Issue of Microchimica Acta, 2005
3. A.Merkoçi, Ed. “Nanobiomaterial Application in Electrochemical Analysis”, Special Issue of Electroanalysis on Nanobiomaterials, Wiley InterScience, Volume 19, Issue 7-8, April 2007
4. S.Alegret & A.Merkoci ed. “Electrochemical Sensor Analysis”, Elsevier, 2007 (in press)
5. Wiley Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Series ". An international forum for the presentation of comprehensive nanoscience principles, nanotechnology tools, nanomaterials, nanobiosensors, nanobiotechnology and nanotechnology applications in the environment, in energy, electronics and computers, including discussion of ethical issues in this frontier science and technology. Editor: Prof. Arben Merkoçi