Newcastle University

Research Interests

Design and development of highly specific 'bioelectronic' interfaces between inorganic surfaces and biological species (antibodies, microbial cells, enzymes and redox proteins). This work has led to the production of a number of electrochemical and microelectromechanical sensor systems capable of the direct, rapid measurement of biological and chemical species in complex matrices. The current work being carried out by the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologies Research Group can be broadly defined in three inter-related, multi-disciplinary areas. These are:
1. Development of microbial and biological sensors based on microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMS) - Collaboration with Dr Neil Keegan.
2. Development of near-patient technology platforms for rapid, quantitative immunometric measurement of biochemical markers of disease.
3. Development of multi-analyte sensor array platforms for direct, simultaneous intra- and extra-cellular monitoring of reactive oxygen species and the application of these to understanding related biochemical mechanisms involved in disease processes - Collaboration with Dr Phil Manning.

• Ortiz P, Burnett R, Keegan N, Spoors J, Hedley J, Harris A, Burdess J, Raphoz N, Collet J, McNeil CJ. Issues associated with scaling up production of a lab demonstrated MEMS mass sensor. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 2012, 22(11), 1-12.
• Burnett R, Harris AJ, Ortiz P, Hedley J, Burdess JS, Keegan N, Spoors JA, McNeil CJ. Electronic Detection Strategies for a MEMS-Based Biosensor. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems 2013, (epub ahead of print).
• Ismail AK, Burdess JS, Harris AJ, Suarez G, Keegan N, Spoors JA, Chang SC, McNeil CJ, Hedley J. The fabrication, characterization and testing of a MEMS circular diaphragm mass sensor. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 2008, 18(2), 025021.
• Ismail AK, Burdess JS, Harris AJ, McNeil CJ, Hedley J, Chang SC, Suarez G. The principle of a MEMS circular diaphragm mass sensor. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 2006, 16(8), 1487-1493.
• Suarez G, Keegan N, Spoors JA, Ortiz P, Jackson RJ, Hedley J, Borrise X, McNeil CJ. Biomolecule Patterning on Analytical Devices: A Microfabrication-Compatible Approach. Langmuir 2010, 26(8), 6071-6077.
• Suarez G, Jackson RJ, Spoors JA, McNeil CJ. Chemical introduction of disulfide groups on glycoproteins: A direct protein anchoring scenario. Analytical Chemistry 2007, 79(5), 1961-1969.
• Ortiz P, Keegan N, Spoors J, Hedley J, Harris A, Burdess J, Burnett R, Velten T, Biehl M, Knoll T, Haberer W, Solomon M, Campitelli A, McNeil C. A hybrid MEMS-based microfluidic system for cancer diagnosis. In: Biomedical Applications of Micro- and Nanoengineering IV and Complex Systems. 2008, Melbourne, Australia: SPIE.
• Ortiz P, Keegan N, Spoors J, Hedley J, Harris A, Burdess J, Burnett R, Velten T, Biehl M, Knoll T, Haberer W, Solomon M, Campitelli A, McNeil C. Integration of a bioMEMS device into a disposable microfluidic cartridge for medical diagnostics. In: Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical Microsystems VII. 2009, San Jose, California, USA: SPIE.
• Rana S, Page RH, McNeil CJ. Comparison of Planar and 3-D Interdigitated Electrodes as Electrochemical Impedance Biosensors. Electroanalysis 2011, 23(10), 2485-2490.
• Rana S, Page RH, McNeil CJ. Impedance spectra analysis to characterize interdigitated electrodes as electrochemical sensors. Electrochimica Acta 2011, 56(24), 8559-8563.
• Rana S, Gregoratto I, Ortiz PM, Harris AJ, Burdess JS, McNeil CJ. Accurate Surface-to-Bulk Feature Alignment and Feature Size Preservation During Double-Sided Wafer Processing Using C4F8 Plasma Polymer for the Fabrication of Electrostatically Actuated Cantilever Devices. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems 2010, 19(4), 871-877.
• Rana SD, Ortiz PM, Harris AJ, Burdess JS, McNeil CJ. An electrostatically actuated cantilever device capable of accurately calibrating the cantilever on-chip for AFM-like applications. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 2009, 19(4), 045012.
• Manning P, McNeil CJ. Electrochemical and optical sensing of reactive oxygen species: pathway to an integrated intracellular and extracellular measurement platform. Biochemical Society Transactions 2011, 39, 1288-1292.
• Boulton SJ, Keane PC, Morris CM, McNeil CJ, Manning P. Real-time monitoring of superoxide generation and cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma mitochondria induced by 1-trichloromethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline. Redox Report 2012, 17(3), 108-114.
• Henderson JR, Swalwell H, Boulton S, Manning P, McNeil CJ, Birch-Machin MA. Direct, real-time monitoring of superoxide generation in isolated mitochondria. Free Radical Research 2009, 43(9), 796-802.
• Henderson JR, Fulton DA, McNeil CJ, Manning P. The development and in vitro characterisation of an intracellular nanosensor responsive to reactive oxygen species. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 2009, 24(12), 3608-3614.
• Govindarajan S, McNeil CJ, Lowry JP, McMahon CP, O'Neill RD. Highly selective and stable microdisc biosensors for l-glutamate monitoring. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 2013, 178, 606–614.