Thrust 1: Nanomaterials and Biosensors

In this research thrust, the team will develop, characterize, and use nanoscale materials for additive and hybrid manufacturing of a number of chemical/biological sensors for sustainable agriculture and the environment. The successful development of these sensors will enable the team to bring a new generation of precision agriculture and precision environmental monitoring technologies. The center will employ atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials and hybrid materials and printing technologies to achieve the above goal.

Among the sensor analytes, the center will focus on sensing greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as nitrous oxide (N₂O), methane (CH₄), and carbon dioxide (CO₂), nutrients such as soil nitrates (NO₃^-), and microbial sensors.

This thrust is led by the Das group (materials and manufacturing) in collaboration with the Peterson group (circuit and systems), the Khosla group, and the Hettiarachchi group (testbed setup). The biosensors will be co-developed by the Park groups (Sungun Park and Won Min Park) along with the Im group.