Ilina Kolker-Baravik CV & Publications
 |
Ilina Kolker-Baravik Ph.D. Student |
Research
The electrical contacting of redox enzymes with electrodes is one of the most challenging topics in bioelectrochemistry, with the development of electrical communication between redox enzymes and electrodes being an essential process for designing amperometric biosensors.There are numerous special means to develop electrical communication between proteins and electrodes and bioelectrocatalytic activation of the redox enzymes. These methods include the application of diffusional electron mediators, covalent attachment of redox relays to the protein, incorporation of the enzymes in redox polymers matrices, or reconsititution of redox enzymes on relay-cofactor units associated with electrodes.
My M.Sc research project focused on developing a new paradigm for the effective electrical contacting of redox enzymes with electrodes. The method involved the integration of carbon nanotubes, CNTs as charge-transporting nanoconectors to yield effective electrical communication between the redox enzyme, glucose oxidase, GOx, and the electrode.
The research demonstrated two methods to yield the electrical communication:
A. Modification of the CNTs with two water soluble functionalized polymers polyethyleneimine, PEI, or poly(acrylic acid), PAA. The functionalization of the CNTs with the polymers was used to enhance the solubility of the CNTs in aqueous media and to provide a functionalized matrix for the covalent immobilization of electron transfer mediating units (ferrocene) and for the enzyme, GOx. The resulting integrated CNTs/ferrocene/GOx assembly activates the electrical communication between the enzyme and the electrode and leads to significant bioelectrocatalytic current responses. The different assemblies were used to design amperometric sensors for glucose. See details in my 2008 J.Phys.Chem. paper.
B. The electropolymerization of aniline-functhionalized CNTs and thioaniline-modified GOx on a thioanilized functhionalized gold electrode led to the synthsis of a CNTs/GOx composite cross linked by the redox-active bis-aniline units. The bis-aniline bridging units revealed a quasi-reversible redox wave and, acted as electron mediating components for the electron transfer between the enzymes redox center and the electrode. The three-dimensional conductivity of the CNTs matrix and the mediating properties of the bis-aniline components, led to the effective electrical wiring of the enzyme units with the electrode, and to an efficient bioelectrocatalytic oxidation of glucose. See details in my 2009 Langmuir paper.
After I have finished my master in 2009 and since then for the last three years I have been working in Oregenics ( a member of Alere family of companies) a company that develops and manufactures medical diagnostic kits for infectious diseases. As a research scientist in Process Development department I have been involved in many projects including scale up and trouble shooting of a new fourth - generation HIV rapid test, Determine® HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo.
HIV antibody assays, including most sensitive third-generation tests, are limited in their ability to detect acute infections of HIV. As they do not target viral components, they do not identify infection during the pre- seroconversion phase and can only partially identify per-seroconversion cases. In order to address this period, fourth-generation screening assays were developed, shortening the duration of the “diagnostic window” by detecting HIV antibodies and HIV-1 p24 antigen simultaneously.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
M.Sc. Biotechnology: 2009, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Chemistry Department (Advisor: Prof. I. Willner) Title of M.Sc. Thesis: "Chemically Modified Carbon Nanotubes for the Electrical Contacting of Redox Enzymes with Electrodes".
B.Sc. Chemistry: 2006, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2010-2013 Research Scientist - Process Development Department, Orgenics Ltd. an Alere affiliated company.
2007-2009 Researcher - Bioelectronics and nano-biotechnology Chemistry Department of Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2006-2007 Student position at R&D Teva pharmaceutics Ltd.
2005-2006 Research Assistant - in dispersion of silver nano-particles The Kazali Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
PUBLICATONS
5. Ilina Baravik, Ran Tel-Vered, Oded Ovits, Itamar Willner; “Electrical Contacting of Redox Enzymes by Means of Oligoaniline-Cross-linked Enzyme/Carbon Nanotube Composites.” Langmuir 25 (2009), 13978-1398.
4. Yi-Ming Yan, Ilina Baravik, Ran Tel-Vered, and Itamar Willner; “An Ethanol/O2 Biofuel Cell Based on an Electropolymerized Bilirubin Oxidase/Pt Nanoparticle Bioelectrocatalytic O2-Reduction Cathode.” Adv. Mater. 21 (2009), 4275–4279.
3. Omer. Yehezkeli, Yi-Ming Yan, Ilina Baravik, Ran Tel-Vered, and Itamar Willner; “Integrated Electrically Contacted Oligoaniline-Crosslinked Glucose Oxidase/Au Nanoparticles Electrodes for Glucose Sensing.” Chem. Eur. J. 15 (2009), 2674 – 2679.
2. Oded Ovits, Ran Tel-Vered, Ilina Baravik, Ofer I. Wilner and Itamar Willner; "Photoelectrochemical cells based on bis-aniline-crosslinked CdS nanoparticle–carbon nanotube matrices associated with electrodes" J. Mater. Chem. 19 (2009), 7650–7655.
1. Yi-Ming Yan, Ilina Baravik, Omer Yehezkeli, and Itamar Willner; “Integrated Electrically Contacted Glucose Oxidase/Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for the Bioelectrocatalyzed Detection of Glucose.” J. Phes. Chem. C 112 (2008), , 17883-17888
PATENTS
United States Patent and Trademark Office, International publication Number : WO 2009/153777 A1
Title: Electrode, Method and system for determining an analyte in a liquid medium.
Prof. I. Willner, Ran-Tal-Vered, O. Yehezkeli, Ilina Baravik.