Lex Patterson

BioE Ph.D. Defense Presentation

3 PM on Thursday March 12, 2026

Location: UA Whitaker Biomedical Engr-165 - 1232 Classroom BME

https://gatech.zoom.us/j/99133127136

Advisor:

Mark Styczynski, Ph.D. (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Committee:

Julie Champion, Ph.D. (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Johnny Blazeck, Ph.D. (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Hang Lu, Ph.D. (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Brian Hammer, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Enabling Technologies for Next-Generation Cell-Free Biosensors

Although the United Nations has defined universal access to medical care as a primary goal, the inaccessibility of a critical healthcare tool—diagnostics—has significantly impeded global medical access. While conventional point-of-care (POC) diagnostic platforms are effective for detecting simple biomarkers, such as those used in diagnosing pregnancy or COVID-19, they often fall short in complex diagnoses due to sensitivity, specificity, quantification, and multiplexing requirements. In recent years, cell-free expression systems (CFS) have emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations. CFS—in vitro gene expression powered by cellular lysates—harness the protein expression functions of a cell without the constraints of living systems, enabling effective use of nature’s evolved specific, sensitive, and diverse sensing machinery. To advance CFS diagnostics towards clinical impact, I have developed four enabling technologies that address challenges in sensitivity, multiplexing, field-friendliness, and development time. The first approach enhances the sensitivity of a modular protein diagnostic by two orders of magnitude and enables plug-and-play, multiplexed protein detection at the POC. The second approach reduces both the limit of detection and time to interpretable response for biosensors through the rational design of a novel reporter. The third approach facilitates next-generation POC multiplexing by combining nucleic acid barcodes with CFS for eight-plexed, sensitive detection. Finally, the fourth approach accelerates biosensor development by increasing the predictability of CFS when expressing multiple proteins—a critical requirement for most CFS diagnostics. Collectively, these efforts expand the translational potential and functional capabilities of CFS, helping to ensure access to diagnostics.