Current funding: Tucson Water; KIOST Past funding: UArizona Health Sciences; UArizona One Health Initiative; USDA/NIFA; UArizona Office of the Provost; Aqualung Therapeutics; TRIF; WET (NSF); UArizona Test All Test Smart; KIOST; Tech Launch Arizona; CVTG (NIH); BIO5 Institute; NSF/CBET; SWEHSC (NIH); Seoul VioSys; APQA; WSP; Desert Tech; WAESO (NSF); NVRQS; NIH/NIBIB; NSF/IUCRC; Arizona Department of Commerce; Theradiag

Medical Diagnostics Objective: Smartphone-based biosensors for diagnosing tissue, blood, saliva, and swab samples. Jocelyn Reynolds

1-2. Smartphone fluorescence microscopy captures images from a paper microfluidic chip to detect COVID-19 in clinical samples. 3. NK cell subpopulation identification on a paper microfluidic chromatography using machine learning (ML). 4. Multispectral ML analysis of skin and gut microbiome.

Environmental Monitoring Objective: Handheld biosensors for environmental monitoring. Lexi DeFord, Subin Lee, Janna Said, Connor Tankersley

1. Multidimensional ML analysis of capillary flow profiles for identifying bacterial species. 2. ML device identifies the oil type from oil spill samples. 3. Direct capture and in situ monitoring of viruses (COVID-19) from aerosols.

Handheld Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Objective: Handheld isothermal nucleic acid amplification systems (specifically RPA) for virus and cancer identification. Benjamin Badalov, Jamie Ledbetter

1. Emulsion LAMP is monitored with a smartphone for accurate, rapid COVID-19 detection. 2. The same can also be conducted on a Roche LightCycler for the detection of miRNA. 3. DOTS qPCR device with smartphone monitoring with under 5-min detection and inhibition relief.

Organ-on-a-Chip Objective: Paper-based organ-on-a-chip for angiogenesis, drug/food toxicology, and blood-brain barrier studies. Boston McGarrahan, Lucas Canty

1-2. Paper-based liver-on-a-chip. 3. Angiogenesis on paper-based organ-on-a-chip. 4. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) on a chip for toxicant and drug testing.

Last revised: September 11, 2026.