Plaxco Lablaxco Lab

The Plaxco Group is a highly interdisciplinary research group in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, headed by Prof. Kevin W. Plaxco. We build bioanalytical sensors and investigate protein biophysics, among other basic and applied research avenues.

Electrochemical Aptamer-Based (EAB) Sensors

A major innovation from the Plaxco group is the Electrochemical Aptamer-Based sensor platform. It is the first ever real-time, high-frequency molecular sensing technology that is both: (1) selective enough to work in situ in the living body and (2) independent of the chemical reactivity of its targets, thus rendering it is generalizable. Using this approach, we have demonstrated the seconds or even sub-second resolve measurement of multiple drugs, metabolites and biomarkers in the plasma (veins), cerebrospinal fluid (brains) and interstitial fluid (subcutaneous space) of live rats.

Feedback Control Real Time Body

Continuous, real-time molecular measurements in the living body

The high-frequency, real-time information provided by EAB sensors provides unprecedented opportunities to measure, understand, and even control molecules in the living body. For example, using the real-time concentration information provided by EAB sensors we have demonstrated closed-loop, feedback-control over multiple therapeutics, ensuring that drugs characterized by dangerously narrow therapeutic windows or highly complex, time-varying optimal plasma time courses can be delivered safely and effectively.

Protein Biosensor

Biomolecules on surfaces

Biomolecules interact with surfaces in many and varied ways. For example, while biomolecules frequently associate with -and remain folded and functional on- surfaces in the cell, they tend to unfold on, adhere to, and lose function at artificial surfaces, significantly reducing the extent to which we can blend biomolecules with such surfaces to create new technologies. Thus motivated, we have developed novel methods for measuring the extent to which interactions with well-defined macroscopic surfaces alter the stabilities of specific biomolecules. Using this information we are developing quantitative, predictive theories of protein-surface interactions that we believe will significantly advance our understanding of biology and our ability to employ biomolecules in artificial biotechnologies.

People

Meet the members of the Plaxco Group.
Click on icons for specific contact information, and research projects.
Main lab contact can be found here.

Principal Investigator

Kevin Plaxco

Kevin Plaxco


Postdocs and Project Scientists

Kon Son

Kon Son

Matthew McDonough

Matthew McDonough

Olena Lukoyanova

Olena Lukoyanova

Ruben Kolkman

Ruben Kolkman

Chelsea Brown

Chelsea Brown

Marlain Stocco

Marlaina Stocco


Graduate Students

Shaylee Larson

Shaylee Larson

Kayla Wang

Kayla Wang

Zeki Duman

Zeki Duman

Nicole Emmons

Nicole Emmons

Yuyang Wu

Yuyang (Alex) Wu

Kevin Honeywell

Kevin Honeywell

Lisa Fetter

Lisa Fetter

List of Alumni

Saptami Shetty,  Visiting Graduate Student '23-'24 Dr. Julia Chung,  Ph. D. '23 Dr. Murat Kaan Erdal,  Ph. D. '23 Dr. Andrea Idili,   Visiting Scholar Summer '23, Postdoctoral Fellow '16-'19 Dr. Giovanni Valenti,  Visiting Scholar Summer '23 Dr. Veerappan Mani,  Visiting Scholar Summer '23 Dr. Ana Bettina Glahn,  Visiting Scholar Summer '23 Dr. Elsi Verrinder,  Postdoctoral Fellow '21-'23 Viva Bell,  Undergraduate Researcher '23 Joshua Pham,  Undergraduate Researcher '23 Dr. Sarah Goodchild,  Visiting Scholar Spring '23 Dr. Kaylyn Leung,  Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellow '19-'23 Dr. Julian Gerson,  Ph.D.'22, Postdoctoral Fellow '22-'23 Emaleigh Curl,  Master '23 ... José Ilton,  Visiting Graduate Student '22 Dr. Charlotte Flatebo,  Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellow '21-'22 Adriana (Peachy) Billante,  Undergraduate Researcher '22 Dr. Simona Ranallo,  Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '21-'22 Dr. Erica del Grosso ,  Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '21 Dr. Alex Downs,  Ph.D. '21 Dr. Gabriel Ortega,  Postdoctoral Fellow '16-'21 Dr. Alejandro Chamorro Garcia,  Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '19-'21 Dr. Martin Kurnik,  Assistant Project Scientist '19-'21, Postdoctoral Fellow '14-'19 Krishna Brunton,  Undergraduate Researcher '20 Dr. Nathan Ogden,  Ph.D. '19 Ava 'Shruti' Greenwood,  Master '19 Dr. Philippe Dauphin Ducharme,  NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow '15-'19 Eric Pang,  Undergraduate Researcher '19 Dr. Claudio Parolo,  Beatriu de Pinós Postdoctoral Fellow '16-'18 Dr. Netzahualcóyotl 'Netz' Arroyo,  Otis Williams Postdoctoral Fellow '15-'18 Dr. Jacob Somerson, Ph.D. '18 Dr. Andrew Csordas, Postdoctoral Fellow '17-'18 Megan Larisch, Master '17 Deby Fapyane, Visiting International Student Autumn '17 Alessandra Troina, Visiting International Student Autumn '17 Amanda Caceres, Undergraduate Researcher '17 Chase Hawes, Undergraduate Researcher '17 Dr. Hui Li,  Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow '14-'17 Ramces Gonzalez, ARC Summer Research Program '16 Stefano Cinti, Visiting Scholar '16 Dr. Di Kang, Ph.D. '16 Hannah Kallewaard-Lum, Master '16 Yanxian Li, Undergraduate Researcher '15 Claire Tran, Undergraduate Researcher '15 Dr. Emir Yasun, Postdoctoral Fellow '14-'15 Christopher Bellingham, Undergraduate Researcher '15 Mackenzie Lucero, EUREKA Summer Intern '15 Luke Walls-Smith, Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. in Biochemistry '14 Dr. Anna Simon, Ph.D. '15 Boitumelo 'Tumi' Fanampe, Visiting Fulbright Scholar 2014 Dr. Xiuhai Mao, Winter 2014 Visiting International Researcher Eric Rinehart, Summer 2013 SURF Fellow Gianluca Adornetto, Visiting International Student Summer '13 Colin Moore, Visiting International Student Spring '13 Dr. Camille Lawrence, Ph.D. '13 Helena Montón Domingo, Visiting International Student Spring '13 Dr. Herschel Watkins, Ph.D. '08-'13 Simona Ranallo , Visiting International Student Fall '12 Dr. Alexis Vallée-Bélisle, Postdoctoral Fellow '07-'12 Andrea Idili , Visiting International Student Summer '12 Kaisha Benjamin, SABRE Intern, B.S. Chemical Engineering '13 Amanda Goley, Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. in Biochemistry '12 Zoe Swank, Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. in Biochemistry '12 Dina Niculaes, Visiting Student '11-'12 Dr. Adriana Patterson, Ph.D. '12 Dr. Fan Xia, Postdoctoral Fellow '09-'12 Dr. Vinh Nguyen, Postdoctoral Fellow '09-'12 Eva Gonzalez Fernandez, International Visiting Student '12 Dr. Alessandro Porchetta, Visiting International Student Fall '11 Dr. Andrew J. Bonham, Postdoctoral Fellow '10-'11 Dr. Ryan White, Postdoctoral Fellow '07-'11 Kelly Chuh , Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. in Biochemistry '11 Erin Miller, Undergraduate Researcher '11 Dr. Aaron Rowe, Ph.D. '11 Dr. Xiaolei Zuo, Postdoctoral Fellow '08-'10 Dr. Kevin Cash, Ph.D. '09 Dr. Arica Lubin, Ph.D. '09 Dr. Takanori Uzawa , Postdoctoral Fellow '06-'09 Dr. Yi Xiao; Postdoctoral Fellow '04-'08 Dr. Jing Xu, Ph.D. '03-'08 Brook Vander Stoep Hunt (Barajas), Undergraduate Researcher, B.S. in Microbiology '07 Dr. Kenneth J. Oh , Ph.D. '07 Dr. Francesco Ricci , Postdoctoral Fellow '05-'07 Dr. Rebecca Lai , Postdoctoral Fellow '03-'07 Dr. Brian Baker , Postdoctoral Fellow '03-'06 Dr. Miguel de los Rios, Ph.D. '99-'05 Dr. Jonathan E. Kohn , Ph.D. '05 Dr. Evan McCarney , Ph.D. '05 Dr. Blake Gillespie , Postdoctoral Fellow '99-'03



Publications



In lieu of a long list of publications listed on this website, an updated list of publications can be found on
Google Scholar




Contact

If you are interested in working in the Plaxco Lab, trying to sell lab equipment, or just wanting to know where we work, our contact info is below.

  • Address

    PI Office: Room 3002
    Lab Office: Room 3209
    Center for Bioengineering
    University of California Santa Barbara
    Santa Barbara 93106
  • Email

    PI: kwp(at)ucsb.edu
  • Phone

    PI Office: (805) 893 5558
    Lab Office: (805) 893 5845