Reagents for Improved Sensitivity in Point-of-Need Diagnostic Assays
Open Access
Author:
Brooks, Adam Dustin
Graduate Program:
Chemistry
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
June 02, 2017
Committee Members:
Scott T Phillips, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Scott T Phillips, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Ken S Feldman, Committee Member Benjamin James Lear, Committee Member Michael Anthony Hickner, Outside Member
Point-of-need diagnostic assays are needed for providing sensitive and rapid measurements in environments where clean water, electricity, refrigeration, instrumentation, and technicians are not available. Assays meeting these requirements could also be of use in less limited environments, such as at home or in emergency rooms. At present, few assays meet these criteria, in part because of limitations in assay reagents. This thesis describes the design of several new reagents for use in point-of-need assays, with a focus on signal amplification and ease of readout.