Prof. Ieva Plikusienė discusses the critical importance of biosensor systems in the modern healthcare environment.
For Ieva Plikusienė, associate professor and senior researcher of the School of Chemistry and Earth Sciences at Vilnius University and Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Program for Basic Sciences at UNESCO, the love of STEM is in her blood.
Plikusienė told SiliconRepublic.com, “For me, it really goes back to my childhood. I grew up loving physics, mainly because my father, a professor of physics, showed me how interesting and beautiful this field could be. He had a gift for making complex ideas incredibly interesting, which awakened the quality of my whole life to understand how curiosity works in the whole world.”
At first, during her education, Plikusienė focused on astrophysics, however, during this time she also discovered the world nanomaterials and some physics-based methods have been developed to test their properties. Soon, his basic love of physics began to merge with “the desire to solve real-world problems”.
He said, “I became interested in knowing how we can use these methods in biological investigation.” The turning point was the realization that by combining these two fields, my knowledge of physics and some knowledge of chemistry and biology, could help to have a unique perspective on nano-materials in the world.
“Seeing the potential of these physical methods to make highly sensitive biosensors that could revolutionize early disease detection or pandemic responses, that’s what captured my mind and strengthened my commitment to this project.”
Early warning signs
To better explain the purpose and methods of her work, Plikusienė said to imagine that she is trying to find a single, specific key floating in a large, dense body of water. Now imagine that you are trying to find something that is malfunctioning or wrong in the human body.
He said, “When a person gets sick, whether it’s a virus or the first sign of a disease like cancer, his body produces chemical warning flags called biomarkers. My work is focused on developing advanced biosensing systems, based on light waves and acoustic waves designed to detect these small warning flags quickly. In particular, I work on a type called immunosensors.”
Plikusienė and her team coated the surface of the tiny sensor chip with antibodies, the body’s natural defenses that are specially designed to attach to only one target biological marker. Then, when a small sample of liquid is released on the chip, if a biomarker of a certain disease is present, it will attach to the antibody and be monitored.
Using crystals that vibrate at specific frequencies, once the biomarker binds to the antibody the sensor will become slightly heavier, reducing the vibration and allowing the researcher to register a specific weight change. In addition, by making the light reflect from above, if the biomarker attaches to the antibody, it can change how the light reflects back, enabling the researcher to measure it with greater precision.
He explained, “By combining the nature of biomarkers and antibody binding with these highly accurate physics tools, we can see exactly when and how these molecules interact in real time, without altering or damaging them. This can help select the best candidates.” drug formulation and find important cancer, viral or bacterial biomarkers. “
Infrastructure for generations
This made Plikusienė an especially exciting field to be a part of as she found herself responsible for developing biosensor technology that is critical to next-generation diagnostics.
With that in mind, much of his day-to-day work is focused on improving the sensitivity, reliability and performance of biosensing platforms and achieving higher accuracy than can be achieved with traditional models.
He said, “I believe that scientific achievements reach their greatest value when they are translated into innovations that benefit society. From a career perspective, I am increasingly interested in scientific leadership and helping to create research ecosystems that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.”
With his eyes set on the future, he is also making sure to develop the minds of the next generation to work on the world’s most pressing health care challenges, not just the technology and research that forms the foundation of the industry.
He said, “Besides publishing scientific results, I see great value in mentoring young researchers, contributing to science policy discussions and helping to ensure that emerging technologies are developed responsibly and sustainably. For me, the most meaningful work is not only developing my own research but also helping to create an environment where innovation and scientific talent can flourish.”
Plikusienė recently received the prestigious André Mischke award from the Young Academy of Europe, which recognizes outstanding contributions to science and science policy, an honor she said was “a very important moment” in her career.
He said, “What makes this award especially meaningful is that it reflects not only individual achievement but also the collective efforts of talented students, researchers, collaborators and institutions that I have had the privilege of working with. Scientific progress is rarely the result of one person, it is built through collaboration, shared curiosity, and commitment to solving problems.”
“On a personal level, the award is inspiring and motivating. It serves as a reminder that patience, curiosity, and willingness to test new ideas can lead to meaningful results. At the same time, I do not see it as a result, but as an incentive to continue pushing the boundaries of research, supporting the next generation of scientists who can benefit society.”
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