From October 8-12, 2025, the
Biomedical Engineering Society hosted their national meeting in San Diego, CA. Many of UCLA’s Bioengineering department members attended to present their research and participate in networking opportunities. This year UCLA was represented at the exhibit hall with faculty, staff, and student volunteers at the booth to advertise the department, recruit prospective candidates to our undergraduate and graduate programs, and promote research job opportunities. On October 10, 2025, the UC Systemwide Reception was held at Bayfront Park with all UC campuses represented.
Below is the research presented and a slideshow of the weekend!
Faculty:
Research Title: All-in-one diagnostics: a high-throughput and multiplexed CRISPR-Cas13a assay for the simultaneous detection of tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria
Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and malaria (THM) remain among the top infectious disease killers globally [1]. Tuberculosis (TB) leads them as a killer, causing 1.25 million deaths in 2023, with 30% of HIV-related deaths attributed to TB. In 2022, around 167,000 people died from TB-HIV co-infection [2]. Additionally, 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths occurred worldwide in 2023 [3]. The emergence of drug-resistant TB strains and treatment-challenging HIV and malaria co-infections worsens outcomes, highlighting an urgent need for screening methods that simultaneously detect TB, HIV, and malaria (collectively termed THM), and associated drug-resistance markers. However, current diagnostic methods for TB, HIV, and malaria are often performed separately [4]. Here, we present the performance of CRISPR-Cas13 -based detection assays that target Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and malaria-causing pathogens simultaneously.
Song Li
Research Title: Mechano-immunoengineering for cancer therapy
Abstract:Immune cells are sensitive to mechanical cues in the microenvironment, but how to harvest this potential for cell engineering and disease therapy remains to be addressed. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have tremendous potential for cancer therapy, yet the ex vivo expansion of CAR-T cells faces the challenges of donor-to-donor variability, inconsistent cell products, and the lack of control of expanded cell subpopulations.
Students/Postdocs:
Yuta Nakagawa
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title: Capped nanovials as sealable compartments for high-throughput single-cell functional biology
Abstract: Biomedical research relies on a simple yet powerful concept: compartmentalization of analytes such as cells, reagents, proteins, and molecules into discrete vessels for analysis. Increasingly, compartmentalization at the microscale has become a necessity for assessing small-scale biology such as secreted products and cell-cell interactions, which have crucial implications for understanding single-cell biology and developing therapeutics. To this end, various microfluidic technologies have been demonstrated to effectively confine single cells in microscale vessels such as microwell arrays or microdroplets. However, these technologies have not been adopted widely due to the specialized skills, equipment, or limited operation flexibility [1]. Previously, we have demonstrated lab-on-a-particle technologies such as nanovials for single-cell functional screening assays [2]. These cavity-containing microscale hydrogel particles enable loading of single cells and capture of secreted products, which are then analyzed using widely available laboratory equipment such as microscopes and flow cytometers. While the open-faced cavity facilitates simple loading of cells and reagents, without oil-based encapsulation transport of cells or molecules out of the cavity can occur during an assay, resulting in loss of confinement and potential crosstalk between separate compartments. In this work, we demonstrate capped nanovials, which is a multi-particle system where cavity-containing nanovials are “capped” with spherical capping particles, effectively creating a plurality of compartments functionally akin to microscale test tubes (Fig. 1A). We used capped nanovials for a variety of applications requiring more stringent sealing, including a yeast colony growth assay and a paired antibody secreting cell and reporter cell assay to screen on antibody function.
Alyssa Arnheim
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title:Analyte Accumulation in Hydrogel Microparticles – Fabricating the Perfect Particle
Abstract: Collections of hydrogel microparticles serve not only as tissue culture scaffolds or drug delivery vehicles but also play crucial roles in lab-on-a-particle technologies, enabling miniaturized, compartmentalized assays for single-cell analysis and low-copy-number diagnostics. Hydrogels have highly tunable structural properties, which can be tailored through functional groups, porogens, polymer precursors, and fabrication methods. These factors directly influence properties including stiffness, biocompatibility, and permeability. Hydrogel microparticles offer distinct advantages over bulk hydrogels such as higher surface area-to-volume ratios, enhanced malleability, and improved compartmentalization capabilities.
By facilitating multiple independent reactions, populations of microparticles statistically improve assay accuracy and enable multiplexing capabilities. Despite their widespread applications, no systematic study has investigated how hydrogel properties affect analyte uptake based on molecular weight. Most research has focused on small molecules, leaving significant knowledge gaps regarding the upper size limit of analytes that hydrogels can accumulate. This study examines how polymer molecular weight, polymer concentration, and UV crosslinking intensity influence signal accumulation in hydrogel microspheres—findings that have potential applications in highly sensitive diagnostic assays and colorimetric microparticle-based detection.
Ian Morales
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title:Optimizing Capping Efficiency in Sealed Nanovial Systems
Abstract: Reliable cell encapsulation is a key factor to be able to analyze secreted products at large scale, with current microfluidic methods being limited in reproducibility and lacking options for complete cell encapsulation. This indicates a growing need for cell encapsulation methods, especially with growing areas of research focusing on single cell, or cell-to-cell interactions. To address these limitations, our study focused on capped particles, an emerging lab-on-a-particle technology using two differently shaped hydrogel microparticles: a cavity containing particle (nanovial) sealed by a spherical particle (cap). The bowl-shaped nanovials form a compartment that can encapsulate individual cells or small colonies, while the spherical particles are then used to cap the nanovials to create a sealed compartment that confines cells and retains secreted products for analysis.
Wesley Luk
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title: Development of Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Platform Using Hollow Core-Shell Microparticles
Abstract: Sepsis is a highly lethal condition responsible for a third of hospital deaths [1], and its treatment is further complicated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health crisis linked to 4.95 million deaths in 2019 and projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 [2,3]. AMR renders standard antimicrobial therapies ineffective, emphasizing the urgent need for swift de-escalation from empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics to targeted disease-specific antibiotics, improving patient outcomes and halting the global rise in AMR. In the clinic, this decision is typically informed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST); however, existing AST methods have long turnaround times and low throughput, which delays timely interventions. We propose a novel hollow core-shell microparticle (PicoShell) AST platform that enables single-bacterium encapsulation and microscopy-based viability assessment to characterize resistance profiles in as few as 16 hours. Our results demonstrate successful bacterial encapsulation after a 12-hour preculture and detection of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) within 3-6 hours. Using an ampicillin dose panel (0-50 µg/mL), we determined a MIC of 10 µg/mL for wild-type E. coli, consistent with other reports [4], and observed uninhibited growth for strains resistant to ampicillin. Additionally, we leverage flow cytometry to quantify bacterial load in PicoShells, providing a label-free method for evaluating antimicrobial response and high-throughput screening based on microparticle granularity and size. This PicoShell-based rapid AST workflow offers faster results (16-18 hours) for informing early clinical decision-making, aiding antimicrobial stewardship efforts, and facilitating isolation of rare hyper-resistant pathogens for downstream investigation, all critical in addressing the global AMR crisis.
Rajesh Ghosh
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title: High-Throughput Functional Mapping of Protein Biosensors via Deep Mutational Profiling
Abstract: Directed evolution and high-throughput screening have the potential to drive discovery of novel proteins and cell-based biological products. Advances in machine learning (ML) and computational design are reshaping this landscape, enabling the creation of de novo protein sequences by unlocking the language of biology in unprecedented ways. Yet, the field is only at its infancy and requires substantial volumes of data derived from function-based profiling of the mutation space via high-throughput screening to effectively train predictive models and map the complex fitness landscape. Laboratory automation tools designed for efficient, function-based screening, capable of deriving biologically relevant functional metrics, can bridge this gap. By generating large amounts of high-quality data, these tools can transform biological discovery at scale, enhancing our capacity to engineer proteins with unmatched precision and impact. A key milestone of this research is the ability to comprehensive map sequence–function relationships that define biosensor performance. We introduce a high-throughput deep mutational screening workflow leveraging lab-on-a-particle technology that systematically evaluates variant libraries to generate functional fitness landscapes that facilitate the discovery of numerous high-performing mutants, providing insights into the underlying design rules, paving the way for rational biosensor optimization and broader applications in synthetic biology, diagnostics, and therapeutic monitoring.
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title: Whole Blood-Based Single-Tier Serology Assay for Lyme Disease Detection at the Point-of-Care
Abstract :Lyme disease (LD), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most prevalent vector-borne illness in the United States. Yet, early and accurate diagnosis remains a significant clinical challenge. Current diagnostic protocols rely on multi-step, laboratory-based serologic testing that is time-consuming, complex, and often inaccessible in point-of-care (POC) settings. These limitations can lead to delayed or missed diagnoses, increasing the risk of serious neurological, cardiac, or rheumatologic complications. Further, a key limitation of existing POC platforms is the requirement for plasma or serum separation, which typically necessitates a centralized lab environment.
To address this unmet need, we developed a single-tier, paper-based vertical flow assay (VFA) capable of detecting LD directly from unprocessed whole blood. Building on our previous serum-based VFA, we reengineered a redesigned assay top case with an expanded sample inlet and an integrated, multi-layered membrane stack for efficient plasma filtration. To mitigate matrix variability from hematocrit and hemolysis, we optimized the wash buffer by incorporating a surfactant, improving flow distribution, reducing nonspecific binding, and enhancing signal uniformity. The assay features a multiplexed panel of nine synthetic peptides—six from our prior study and three newly designed di-peptides—selected for epitope specificity and diagnostic performance. This low-cost, single-measurement, rapid diagnostic platform supports decentralized testing by enabling accurate, rapid testing directly from whole blood, offering a promising alternative to current LD diagnostics.
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title: Multiplexed Inflammatory Cytokine Monitoring via a Vertical Flow Assay during Normothermic Liver Perfusion
Abstract : Liver failure poses a growing threat to global health, mainly driven by alcohol misuse, metabolic disorders, and viral hepatitis. Despite recent medical advancements, liver transplantation remains the only curative treatment for end-stage liver disease. During the transplant process, donor liver preservation is a critical determinant of transplant success, influencing graft function and post-transplant complications. Recently, normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has emerged as a promising preservation technique, offering extended preservation times, salvage of marginal grafts, and reduced ischemia-reperfusion injury. Despite these advantages, NMP lacks a definitive, real-time, and non-invasive biomarker to instruct clinicians during transplantation. Emerging evidence indicates that raised inflammatory cytokine concentrations during perfusion correlate with adverse post-transplant outcomes, including early allograft dysfunction. This observation highlights the need for rapid diagnostic methods to evaluate liver inflammation during machine perfusion. In response, we propose a novel approach for point-of-care cytokine detection to enhance decision-making during liver transplantation procedures.
Faculty Advisor: Dino Di Carlo
Research Title: Digitalizing magnetic microdroplets for medical diagnostics using Lab-on-a-3D-Printer driven Ferrobots
Abstract:Microfluidic technologies enable multi-step, parallel bioassays within small-volume droplets and microwells. However, most systems require specialized, high-cost equipment for manufacturing and operation, limiting their accessibility and scalability. To address these challenges, we introduce Lab-on-a-3D-Printer driven Ferrobots, a versatile, low-cost, programmable platform that integrates microfluidic automation into a repurposed benchtop 3D printer. This system replaces the traditional printer nozzle with a multifunctional manipulation head capable of executing a wide range of ferrobot-enabled microfluidic operations—including droplet generation, transport, splitting, merging, vortexing, heating, and imaging—through an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI).
Faculty Advisor: Song Li
Research Title: Engineering an in vivo charging station for CAR-redirected invariant natural killer T cells to enhance cancer therapy
Abstract:Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a unique T cell subset that bridges innate and adaptive immunity by recognizing lipid antigens via CD1d. Despite their rarity, iNKT cells exhibit rapid cytokine release and potent antitumor effects. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered iNKT (CAR-iNKT) cells enhance these capabilities by integrating tumor-targeting CARs with natural iNKT recognition pathways, enabling them to target tumors even in immunosuppressive microenvironments. Preclinical and clinical studies, including trials in neuroblastoma, demonstrate their efficacy and safety, showing reduced cytokine release syndrome compared to CAR-T cells. However, challenges remain for solid tumors due to poor trafficking and persistence. To address this, the iNKT-targeted Microparticle Recruitment and Activation System (iMRAS) was developed, integrating mechanical and chemical cues to recruit and activate CAR-iNKT cells. We hypothesize that iMRAS enhances the recruitment, activation, expansion, and persistence of CAR-iNKT cells for the therapy of solid tumors. By locally presenting CD1d ligands, cytokines, and biomimetic mechanical cues, iMRAS functions as an in vivo “charging station” that recruits, activates, and expands CAR-iNKT cells, overcoming barriers in trafficking and activation to improve antitumor efficacy.
