The project aims to characterize and develop a portable sensor platform for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) detection, based on laccase biosensors produced through the green, low-cost and eco-friendly ElectroSpray Deposition (ESD) technique.
The commercialization of such a platform will push the use of biosensors for forensic analysis and on-road detection beyond the current state of the art. Thanks to an interdisciplinary effort the first goal is to achieve an understanding at the molecular level of the new promising amperometric laccase-based biosensors fabricated by ESD, which have shown unprecedented reuse and storage capabilities. This would allow to make a step forward in new green and renewable systems to reduce pollution, which is at the core of some pillars of the Horizon Europe program and NextGenerationEU agenda. The second goal is to apply laccase-based biosensors for the development of a portable and cost-effective platform for the detection of THC in capillary blood samples.

Requirements: Master's degree in Chemical Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering, Biology, Industrial Chemistry Science and Technology, Chemical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering.

Deadline: 30/01/2024 - Duration 1 year

Secondary Headquarter Monterotondo - Scientific supervisor: Mattea Carmen Castrovilli