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Biosensors key to security strategies

By Kristin K. Anderson

Photo by Derrick L. Turner (From left) Evangelyn Alocilja, assistant professor of biosystems engineering, left, Tracy Kamikawa, last year’s recipient of a U.S. Department of Homeland Undergraduate Scholarship and biosystems engineering graduate student Lisa Kindschy examine biosensors used in their research.

MSU’s first recipient of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Undergraduate Scholarship, Tracy Kamikawa of Honolulu, now a first-year doctoral student, is heading in new directions in her biosystems engineering research.

“Getting the scholarship opened my eyes to research in the areas of anthrax and bovine spongiform encephalopathy,”

Kamikawa said. “I have a better sense of direction in my research since I received the award, and this is one of the main reasons I wanted to go to graduate school.”

She and her mentor, Evangelyn Alocilja, assistant professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, focused on the development of biosensors and bioelectronic devices for the rapid detection of food borne and bioterrorism disease agents for homeland security, food safety and environmental quality.

“Biosensors help detect the presence of target analytes or antigens, or any bio-hazardous materials,” said Alocilja, who also is an affiliate assistant professor in the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, and a participating faculty member in the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the National Center for Food Protection and Defense, a Department of Homeland Security center of excellence.

Kamikawa held an internship this summer at ANSER Analytic Services, Inc., in Alexandria, Va., the site of the Homeland Security Institute.

“Being able to have an internship made my work seem like it was having more of an impact, and the chance to meet with leaders dealing with homeland security issues and getting feedback about our work helped me to feel I was really making a contribution,” Kamikawa said.

“There will always be a need for research on prevention, diagnoses, mitigation of and communication about biohazardous materials, all of which are integral to homeland security issues,” Alocilja said. “Our research in biosensors is critical to all of these homeland security strategies.”