Semester Projects

Semester Projects with BioSense

BioSense EPFL is partnered with various laboratories that agree to host our projects. By taking one of these projects, you will be helping us prepare for the SensUs student competition. You will also be in prime position to join the competition team, having gained practical skills in a relevant field. We seek students from all backgrounds with motivation and forward thinking being the most desired qualities. This is your chance to learn something new or become an expert in a field you are already familiar with!

Below is a list of topics that could be used to define a semester project in further detail. New competition tech team members are encouraged to pick from these topics as they should help the most in advancing the team in the development of their new biosensor. In case members have suggestions for other projects we are definitely open to the idea.

We do not take any application for the moment.

Continuous Aptamer Sensing of an Analyte on a gold or SiOx Surface

Explore the use of aptamers on gold or silicon oxide surfaces to enable continuous analyte sensing. The analyte will be chosen depending on the SensUs 2025 competition requirements. A functionalisation protocol will be developed and tested using an optical or electrochemical setup, with COTS chips or if the student is motivated chips can be fabricated in CMi. Reversibility of the reaction will also be tested by changing conditions such as pH and temperature.

• Keywords: Aptamers, Bio-Assay, Surface functionalisation, Continuous sensing.
• Status: Available

Platform for Signal Denoising, Extraction and Calibration in Optical and Electrical Biosensors

To support sensor testing and calibration, a software platform is needed for loading, analyzing, and visualizing sensor data. Biosensing techniques often involve detecting peak shifts in a spectrum or input range as bioreactions occur, such as plasmonic, phase, resonance frequency, and current-voltage shifts. A modular and universal software platform can be designed to handle these common signal types, with features for denoising and a calibration menu to match treated signals with known sample concentrations. A simplified GUI version can be implemented in the final prototype.

• Keywords: Signal processing, GUI, Denoising, Sensor calibration, Peak detection.
• Status: Taken (1/2)

FET for Continuous Sensing of the 2025 Competition Analyte

This project focuses on designing and testing an Electrolyte Gated FET (EGFET) for continuous sensing of the 2025 competition analyte (the analyte will be chosen depending on the SensUs 2025 competition requirements). It involves selecting an EGFET design (Extended, Top, or Side gate) and a cost-effective active material and substrate. After fabrication at CMi, the gate surface will be functionalized with aptamers and tested in PBS solutions. The design must integrate with a microfluidic chip for sample flow and surface cleaning, while also enabling continuous sensing via aptamers. As this is a large project, the surface functionalization and microfluidic development will be separate projects, applicants can choose their preferred area of focus.

• Keywords: Microfabrication, Semiconductors, Graphene, FET, Surface Functionalisation, Microfluidics.
• Status: Taken (1/2)

Drop Casting Functionalised Screen Printed Electrodes 

This project aims to fabricate screen-printed electrodes for amperometric or impedance-based sensing by selecting the appropriate design and materials. After designing the electrodes, stencils will be made to pattern them on suitable substrates. The electrodes will undergo electrical characterization in buffers of varying concentrations, followed by functionalization (The analyte will be chosen depending on the SensUs 2025 competition requirements) and testing for specific analyte detection. The functionalization protocol will involve Self-Assembled Monolayers and drop casting of bioreceptors. Commercial off-the-shelf SPEs may be used for protocol testing, with a final goal of studying the reliability of the drop casting technique on the fabricated electrodes.

• Keywords: Screen Printed Electrodes, Surface Functionalisation, Reliability Testing, Drop Casting.
• Status: Taken (1/2)

On Chip Pumping for Multiplexing Fluidic Channels

The purpose of this project is to develop a small volume pumping system on a microfluidic chip, using active or passive pumping techniques. The system should be able to multiplex different inputs and inject them into reaction or mixing chambers in a programable way by the user. Digital microfluidics is also another possibility that can be explored to achieve the ultimate goal of creating a programable small volume fluidic platform. The chip materials and design will be chosen and later fabricated and tested.

• Keywords: Microfluidics, Pumping, Miniaturization, Lab-On-Chip.
• Status: Available

On Chip Integrated Photonic Interferometer for Analyte Concentration Estimation

Building on the work done by the 2024 competition team, an on chip Mach Zehnder interferometer for sensing of very low concentrations shall be designed and fabricated. The current design shall be used as a starting point, and will be fabricated  in the cleanroom and later tested and characterized. Solutions with varying refractive indices will be used to simulate the bioreactions and characterize the device’s sensitivity. Alternative fabrication methods should be explored in order to reduce the cost of chip fabrication without compromising the sensitivity of the device.  The student can also focus on improving the optical setup (automation and miniaturization) for integration in a wearable, therefore 2 projects can be defined.

• Keywords: Photonic Integrated Circuit, Microfabrication, Optical Setup, Interferometry, Automation.
• Status: Available Autumn 2024, Taken Spring 2025 (1/2)

Design of a Wearable Electronic Chip for Continuous Sensing 

This project focuses on the design and development of a PCB for a wearable biosensor. The project will include the development of the battery management system, wireless communication hardware (using a protocol compatible with a smartphone), and the analog to digital conversion of the collected sensor data. The design should be modular to interface directly or through specific hats with different types of sensor signals (FET, Amperometric, Voltametric, Capacitive, Optical, …). The PCB will then be designed and assembled with the chosen battery and tested with the preferred sensing signal.

• Keywords: Electronics, PCB design, Power Management, Low Power, Wearable, Wireless.
• Status: Available

Simulation Projects

Many of the previous projects can include simulation aspects as a part of the development. If you are interested in having a simulation aspect in your project please signal it on the corresponding area in the application form. We could also define semester projects that only include . Please note that only a limited amount of simulation projects can be defined  per semester, priority will be given to those wishing to do a full simulation project. Please find below a list of possible simulation topics:

• Microfluidics: Particle sorting chip.
• Mechanical biosensors: Cantilevers with integrated microchannels, Quartz microbalance sensor.
• Semiconductor biosensors: Field effect sensors, Photoconductive biosensors.
• Optical biosensors: On-chip interferometer (photonic sensor), Surface plasmon resonance based sensor.