Principal Investigator :    Parmod K Upadhyay

Co-Investigators
Amulya K Panda
Sangeeta Bhaskar
Asok Mukhopadhyay

Project Assistant
Rashmi Guru

To develop electrical property measurement based systems for monitoring biological processes is the main theme of research. The specific objectives are to (i) study the dielectric properties during the Ag:Ab complexation and to develop a biosensing device based on such a study for a model system and to further extend this approach to make useful biosensors and (ii) develop piezo ceramic based static electricity generator as a tool to carry out electroporation.

First prototype of a stand alone unit for the impediometric monitoring of Ag:Ab complexation has been developed. This unit is being evaluated as biosensor for detecting the spores of Bacillus anthraci. In this prototype two flow cells are used. In one of the flow cells antigen or antibody coated electrodes are placed and in the other flow cell blank electrodes are placed. A pump circulates test solution in both the flow cells. Differential capcitance of electrodes placed in these two flow cells is read by a charge amplifier based capacitance meter. Online data are read by an indigenous designed analog to digital converter through a computer interface.

A number of electrode designs have been developed for immunization using electroporation. The piezo ceramic-based device has been used to immunize mice using a recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen. It was found that mice do invoke an immune response when antigen was given by electroporation even without adjuvant. Systematic evaluation of such a response is currently being investigated.

The piezo ceramic-based device has also been elevated for DNA immunization using electroporation. We have used a plasmid DNA expressing hepatitis B surface antigen for immunizing mice. Significantly higher immune response was observed in mice who have received plasmid DNA with electroporation using piezo ceramic-based device. Presently, we are working  to quantitate the amount of DNA delivered by different methods. We are using a plasmid encoding ‘green fluorescent protein’ for this investigation.

Publications

Original peer-reviewed articles

1.     Upadhyay PK (2001) Electroporation of the skin to deliver antigen by using a piezo ceramic gas igniter. Int J Pharma 217:249-253.

2.     Bhaskar S, Banavaliker JN, Bhardwaj K and Upadhyay PK (2002) A novel ultrasound-enhanced latex agglutination test for the detection of antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in serum. J Immunol Meth (in press).

3.     Srivastava RK, Gupta S, Bhargava M, Kumar N, Upadhyay PK and Puliyel JM (2001) An indigenous leukocyte esterase test along with Pandy’s test for the diagnosis of Bacterial meningitis. Ind Pediatrics 17:1281-1286.