Nicholas Balasuriya

University of Alberta | UAlberta · Department of Chemistry

A sensor capable of quantifying both anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody levels and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus in saliva and serum was developed. This was accomplished by exploiting the enzymatic reaction of maltose and orthophosphate (PO43-) in the presence of maltose phosphoryla...

Micro/nanogels are unique materials that exhibit the properties of both colloids and hydrogels, i.e. being colloids they exhibit a large specific surface area, while they are hydrophilic and porous allowing them to swell to a great degree with water. Engineering micro/nanogels, through the rational design of various polymer compositions and/or opti...

Phosphorous is important for regulating the growth, metabolism, and photosynthesis of plants, and an imbalance in its concentration can harm local ecosystems such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. Specifically, enrichment of phosphorous (in the form of orthophosphate) and nitrogen in lakes or rivers can cause algal blooms that lead to eutrophication. He...

The demand for reliable, user-friendly, and sensitive sensing and biosensing platforms for the detection of small molecule targets such as hormones, toxins, narcotics, and pollutants is ever increasing. Of these, Estradiol (E2) is of particular interest to the dairy industry as it is one of the major drivers of estrous behaviour in animals. Timely...

Water is the most important resource on our planet, sustaining all living organisms; monitoring water quality is of utmost importance. Importantly, the tools used to evaluate water quality should provide results quickly, should be inexpensive, easy to use, robust, and reusable. This is because the regions that need water quality monitoring the most...

Microfluidic technology can provide cost-efficient, user-friendly devices for applications in the life sciences, environmental monitoring and the agrifood, through miniaturization and automation. In Alberta, undetected estrus is the leading reason for poor reproductive efficiency in dairy herds. Therefore, accurately identifying estrus by monitorin...