Thijs Van der Snickt
Doctoral fellow - OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (UGent)
Principal investigators: prof. Pieter Mestdagh (PhD)
Research focus
During my PhD I will work on an interuniversity research project ‘SOCan’ that aims to develop a photoelectrochemistry-based ‘SOCan technology’ for the fast detection of clinically relevant levels of nucleic acid cancer biomarkers in patient samples.
SOCan will contribute to the (early) diagnosis and follow up of cancer via a new disruptive detection platform, i.e. singlet oxygen-based photoelectrochemical detection of cancer biomarkers. Those biomarkers are increasingly discovered and validated, but the detection necessitates rapid, accurate and sensitive devices. To achieve this, the combined use of electrochemical detection with light-triggered sensor technology for the specific and sensitive detection of pre-selected DNA and RNA cancer biomarkers will be explored. The application of this technology on tissue and liquid biopsy samples will be a major contribution to the early detection of cancer.
Contact & links
- Lab address: Campus UZ Gent, Blok B, ground floor (entrance 36), Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- OncoRNALab
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent
- Thijs Van der Snickt is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks