Institute Colloquium
MEET THE EXPERT ON RAPID POINT-OF-NEED DETECTION
Dr. Prabhat K. Dwivedi
(Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur)
Date: September 18, 2026
Start: 11 a.m.
Venue: Conference room of Leibniz IPHT
Dr. Prabhat K. Dwivedi is Principal Scientific Officer at the Centre for Nanosciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), India. He holds an M.Sc. in Physics from Kanpur University and a PhD in Experimental Physics from H.B. Technological University, Kanpur. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, and TRLabs, Canada. His research focuses on micro- and nanofabrication, plasmonic biosensing, functional nanomaterials, and highly sensitive sensing platforms for biomedical and environmental applications.
Translating Plasmonic Nanostructures into Field-Deployable SERS Nanoprobes
Rapid and reliable identification of trace chemical and biological targets ranging from disease-specific biomarkers to pesticide residues in food safety and explosive trace materials in defense security remain a major analytical challenge. Conventional laboratory techniques are often limited by prolonged processing times, complex sample preparation, and restricted field deployability. These constraints drive the need for versatile, sensitive, and rapid point-of-need diagnostic platforms.
In this context, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has emerged as a powerful analytical tool, providing ultra-sensitive, label-free, and multiplexed detection with molecular fingerprint specificity across diverse operational environments. Recent advances in plasmonic nanomaterials have enabled the design of robust, highly active substrates capable of direct target capture with minimal or no sample pretreatment.
This talk will highlight recent progress in engineering multifunctional hybrid plasmonic nanostructures, including metallic nanomaterials integrated with flexible paper-based platforms and 3D nanofibrous architectures. We will demonstrate their application in biomarker identification and swab-based, rapid onsite screening of pesticide contaminants on fruit surfaces. Special emphasis will be placed on scalable fabrication strategies, substrate-to-substrate reproducibility, and long-term signal stability key hurdles that must be overcome for real-world commercial and field adoption.
The lecture will be given in English.
GUESTS ARE WELCOME
Contact person at Leibniz IPHT: Dana Cialla-May
