We are pleased to announce that Stephan Warnat, associate professor at the Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department, Montana State University, Montana (USA), will give the SFB 1313 "Pretty Porous Science Lecture" #55. His talk will be on "Micro-Sensor Technology for Biofilm Detection".
Date: 06 June 2024
Time: 3:00- 4:00 pm CET
Speaker: Associate Professor Stephan Warnat, Center for Biofilm Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
Lecture title: "Micro-Sensor Technology for Biofilm Detection"
Place: Multi Media Lab (MML), U1.003, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Campus Vaihingen. If you are interested in participating in the lecture, please contact johannes.hommel@iws.uni-stuttgart.de
Hybrid Access: https://unistuttgart.webex.com/unistuttgart/j.php?MTID=mf0c461e51064c0d1f91bae22c46c9d41
Abstract
Microbial biofilms are organized communities of surface-attached microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular matrix. They present significant challenges in medicine, the environment, and industry. Biofilms can cause chronic infections, biofouling, and equipment failure. Current methods for biofilm detection are slow, costly, and labor-intensive. Recently, microfabricated electrochemical biosensors have emerged as a promising technique for evaluating biofilm growth in real-time. These sensors offer advantages such as small size, adaptability, low cost, and high sensitivity.
In this presentation, we will first review current biosensor technologies that allow in-situ biofilm characterization and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies in industrial settings. In the second part of the presentation, we will showcase our recent progress in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), a powerful technique for characterizing bulk and interfacial properties in aqueous, solid, and gaseous systems. We will emphasize the implementation of a microfabricated sensor platform in a continuous flow system that allows biofilm growth and mitigation studies. Case studies of sensor technology in the food and manufacturing industries will summarize the talk.
About Stephan Warnat
Stephan Warnat has a diverse engineering background, encompassing electrical engineering, materials science, and mechanical engineering. His primary focus is on developing sensor systems for challenging environments. He obtained his undergraduate degree (Dipl-Ing FH) in Electrical Engineering from the Fachhochschule Westkueste and his MSc. in Material Science from the Christian Albrechts University, Kiel. He pursued his Ph.D. in microsensor fabrication and packaging at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology and earned his Ph.D. degree from the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel. Stephan was awarded the prestigious International Research Award from the German Research Foundation for his independent research conducted in Halifax, NS. In 2017, Stephan joined Montana State University to establish his research in the field of applied sensor applications.
Stephan is a proud father of three boys who keep him and his wife busy 24 hours a day.