About us

AUSTRALIA-CHINA SCIENCE & RESEARCH FUND

Joint Research Centre for Point-of-Care Testing
(ACSRF JRC POCT)

We are recruiting - 3 exciting research opportunities in Biophotonics, Microfluidics and Analytical Chemistry! 

Position 1: IRC206048 Postdoctoral Research Associate in Biophotonics 
Position 2: IRC206050 Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microfluidics  
Postion 3: IRC206051 Research Assistant (Analytical Chemistry) 

Patients in waiting room

Device and patient – D+I

The Project

Leader in POCT Diagnostic Biotech Innovation

Microfluidic Particle Sorter (cr. Dr Majid Warkiani & Sajad Razavi Bazaz)

Researchers at UTS, Wollongong, SUStech in Shenzhen and three Chinese Academy of Science institutes, along with Australian commercial partners, will combine their expertise in nanotechnology, photonics, diagnostics and rare earth elements to produce a next-generation portable point-of-care testing device.

This compact, low-cost and easy-to-use device will be able to identify very small quantities of molecules to detect genetic disorders, infections, foetal abnormalities, and signs of cancer development and progression. It will integrate a miniaturised microscope, a low-cost opto-fluidics chip and smartphone readout to position Australia and China at the forefront of innovation in diagnostic biotechnology. 

 

The Objectives

Light on pink cell

Light on pink cell  (cr. Dr Fan Wang)

Creating this device demands significant advances in materials sciences, nanotechnology, interface chemistry, molecular biology, opto-fluidics, optical devices and in vitro diagnostics. These will be tackled by leading Chinese and Australian teams tackling four specific scientific objectives:

  1. To design and fabricate barcode beads and time-resolved, ultra-bright nanoparticle probes with great sensitivity in small samples;  
  2. To develop highly stable, specific, selective and biocompatible nanoparticle probes for simultaneous detection of different biomarkers; 
  3. To design and fabricate a high throughput low-cost microfluidics chip and miniaturised optical microscope for ultra-sensitive detection of circulating nucleic acid (CNA) biomarkers in vitro;  
  4. To manufacture a prototype portable point-of-care testing (POCT) device.

Our team

JRC POCT team

The UTS JRC-POCT Project Team, Credit Kevin Anastacio

Read more about the Australian and Chinese government fund Joint Research Centre

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.