Prof. Fan-Gang Tseng received B.S. degree from PME at NTHU, Taiwan in 1989, and M.S. degree from IAM at NTU, Taiwan, in 1991. In 1998, he received Ph.D. degree from mechanical engineering at UCLA, USA under the supervision of Prof. C.-M. Ho and C.-J. Kim. After one year with USC/ISI as a senior engineer, He joined NTHU ESS as an assistant professor in August, 1999, and then advanced to professor in August 2006, and is currently a distinguished professor with ESS Dept. as well as NEMS Institute since 2014. He was the Department Chair of NTHU ESS from 2010 to 2013, AVP for Global Affair from 2013 to 2014 at NTHU, Visiting Scholar to Prof. Robert Langer’s Lab in Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research in MIT USA from 2014 to 2015, Dean of NTHU Nuclear Science College from 2016 to 2017, and the Vice President for R&D at NTHU from 2017-2022. He was elected an ASME fellow in 2014.
His research interests are in the fields of BioNEMS, Biosensors, Micro-Fluidics, Organ on a Chip, Nano Hydrogen Storage, and Fuel Cells. He received 60 patents, wrote 10 book chapters, published more than SCI 310 Journal papers and 360 conference technical papers with a H-index 49 and more than 9771 citations in google scholar. He received several awards, including, MOST Shakelton Scholar (2019-2021), National Innovation Awards (2010, 2014, 2020), MOST Outstanding in research awards (2010, 2014), Y.Z. Hsu Scientific Paper Award (2014), NSC Mr. Wu, Da-Yo Memorial Award (2006), NTHU New Faculty research Award (2002), and more than twenty best papers and other awards in various international conferences and competitions. He was the General Co-Chair for MicroTAS 2018 and on the Board of Directors for CBMS from 2016 to 2022.
One-Pot Dual-virus mode SERS barcode-based Multiplex Diagnostic Assay for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Virus Using Portable Raman Spectrometer
Early and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in over 527 million confirmed cases and 6.28 million deaths globally. The sudden emergence of new variants has heightened the demand for diagnostic solutions that are sensitive, fast, and affordable. In this first part of study, we introduced a novel one-pot surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based immunoassay for detecting SARS-CoV-2 without the need for sample pretreatment, utilizing a portable Raman spectrometer. This platform employed a dual-clamped configuration on a DVD substrate with nanopillar arrays, enhancing SERS signals through plasmonic effects. A sandwich immunoassay was implemented using Raman reporter dyes and SARS-CoV-2 antigen-labeled silver nanoparticles (SERS nanotags). The system achieved a limit of detection (LoD) of 50 pg/mL for SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and virus-like particle (VLP) protein in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). For untreated saliva spiked with VLP protein, the LoD increased to 400 pg/mL, corresponding to a Ct value range of 30–32, closely aligned with RT-PCR sensitivity and outperforming commercial rapid antigen tests, which typically range from Ct values of 25–28.
This SERS biosensor was further enhanced to develop a dual-virus mode SERS barcode based multiplex detection platform, which demonstrated its versatility by enabling simultaneous detection of five target antigens: the spike proteins of three SARS-CoV-2 variants (Beta, Delta, Omicron) and nucleocapsid proteins of Influenza A and B in a single immunoassay. Using five distinct Raman reporter-labeled silver nanoparticles, the system generated unique SERS barcodes for both triplex SARS-CoV-2 variant detection and comprehensive 5-plex detection within 35 minutes, without the need for washing steps. The assay exhibited exceptional performance in PBS and untreated saliva, offering picogram-level sensitivity, high specificity with minimal cross-reactivity, and robust reproducibility. This SERS platform represents a promising tool for real-time, point-of-care diagnostics in resource-limited settings, providing a sensitive, rapid, and cost-efficient solution for multiplex detection of infectious pathogens and their variants.
