Developing Next Generation 

Biosensors 
Ensure purity of raw supplies

Growth factors

Cell viability

Cell confluence

Cell identity

Proteins

Lipids Metabolites

Thaw 

vial

Seed 

vessel Culture

Seed Pool Culture

Harvest Wash Adjust 

volume

Cell Harvest and Wash

Scaffold fabrication

Seed Culture Wash

Scaffold Seeding and Culture

Package

TEMP Sensing Needs
Types of Measurement

In-line/at-line

• Rapid results

• But not as much 

information

Two main types

• Optical measurements

• Using biological 

recognition elements

– Ex. antibodies

– “biosensors”

Off-line

• Can obtain excellent 

specificity and 

sensitivity

• But can take days to get 

results and can be 

expensive

• Western blott

• Mass Spec (MS)

• liquid chromatography 

(LC/HPLC)
In-line / At-line Measurements

No sensor is fully non-invasive, so we seek for minimally 

invasive in a way that isn’t significant for our use.

Optical 

Measurements

Biosensors

Raman

FTIR

Optical coherence tomography

Imaging

Other spectroscopy

Tends to not need sampling

Can be reused

Specificity is a challenge

Uses a recognition element: 

antibody, aptamer, ....

Different detection methods

electrochemistry

optical

resonance frequency

Specific detection

Requires sampling

Most disposable, but some ideas 

to make it reusuable
Example of Biosensor - LightSense

● Biosensors can be made very small, so that there is 

minimal perturbation to the chamber

Sensor

Contact pad

Test structures
Silicon surface

APTES

Antibody

Protein of 

interest

Other proteins

Antibody/Protein Based Sensors

● Three main steps: expose to solution, rinse, and measure

● Antibody is specific to protein
Silicon Nanowire LightSense
Nanowire Sensors Lead to Increased 

Protein binding

Nanowire Unfunctionalized

Planar Unfunctionalized

Nanowire Functionalized 

Planar Functionalized 

Blue – antiPSA

Scale bar 5, 25, 25, 25 mm

Nanowires show 

increased binding
How Photoelectric ELISAs Work

The change in photocurrent is used to tell users the concentration of 

protein in their solution

Photocurrent allows for very small sensors – requires less solution 

and lower cost
Technological Advantages

• Electrical measurements are preferred to optical

– Lower cost

– Much more sensitive

• Silicon preferred

– Can easily multiplexed by using knowledge from the semi 

industry

– Can be scaled

– Low cost since antibodies dominate cost and they can be very 

small

• Improve lower limit of detection with nanowires

– High surface area to volume ratio

– Low cost process

– Used in football fields of solar cells
ASG’s Photo Electric ELISA

ASG’s

Sensor

0.5 cm

Silicon nanowire 

sensors

- consumables

Handheld system

We work with you to develop a sensor for 

your application. Then sell you 

consumable sensors and provide you with 

proprietary algorithms & software to 

interpret the signals and a low cost system 

to take measurements.
Marcie Black, CEO

• Los Alamos, Motorola, 

Bandgap Engineering

• PhD MIT, electrical engineer

Nick Bateman, Director Sensor 

Development

• Principal Scientist, Applied Materials

• PhD Yale, BS MIT physics

Team- 5 Technical + CMO

Technical Team

Nguyen Le, Biochemistry Engineer

• Silicon nanotube biosensors

• PhD TCU Chemistry, BS Biochemistry

Celeste Bedard, Engineering Technician

• Experience processing semiconductors

• Raytheon

Bill Rever, Chief Marketing Officer

• 25 years of marketing and sales 

experience

• BP Solar

Sina Baghbani Kordmahale

• Optics, nanoprocessing

• PhD A&M, device and nano 

electronics
Conclusion

• Lowering the barriers for protein sensing will bring us 

benefits in many fields including TEMP.

• Our sensor (LightSense) has unique advantages for 

protein sensing

• Well suited for low-cost, rapid, multiplexed detection of 

proteins

• We want to work with you to help you develop sensors 

for your application so we can both win.

• Improved biosensors for TEMP are coming soon!

13
ASG has Secured $3M+ in Non-Dilutive 

Funding