Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Western Branch Meeting 2024-3 of the Royal Society of NSW — 26 June 2024
"Keeping plants and humans healthy: onsite molecular testing methods and devices for healthcare and agriculture"
Professor Muhammad Shiddiky
Distinguished Professor of Nanotechnology, Rural Health Research Institute
Charles Sturt University
https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/western-nsw-branch-meeting-2024-3
This lecture was a joint presentation of Charles Sturt University, as part of its Provocations Public Lecture Series, and the Western NSW Branch of the Royal Society of NSW
The presentation commences at 05:31
Timing Marks:
00:00:00 Introduction to the Speaker: Professor Mark Evans FRSN, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Charles Sturt University
00:05:31 Presentation: Professor Muhammad Shiddiky
00:44:20 Audience Q&A: moderated by Professor Mark Evans
01:06:42 Meeting Close
Summary: The availability of simple, fast, and affordable molecular testing methods and devices for detecting and treating diseases early on-site has the potential to change the way we approach healthcare and agriculture. This shift would move us towards a more personalised, predictive, and preventive model, focusing on early detection and effective management of diseases. Onsite or point-of-care (POC) testing, especially in remote areas like rural communities, ports, farms, and fields, would be extremely valuable.
Currently, diagnostic methods for healthcare and agriculture often require expensive materials, time-consuming procedures, and well-equipped centralised facilities, making them inaccessible in low-income countries and resource-poor settings. However, advancements in nanomaterials, nanofabrication technology, bioelectronics, and molecular testing methodologies have led to the development of more affordable on-site or POC molecular testing methods and devices.
In recent years, our team has used these advancements to create several molecular testing methods and devices for detecting various cancer biomarkers, such as circulating tumour cells (CTCs), extracellular vesicles (exosomes), miRNA, mRNA, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), cell-free DNA (cf-DNA), circulating tumour DNA (ct-DNA), agricultural biomarkers, including plant disease-causing pathogens and their corresponding nucleic acid sequences, and global water-related disease biomarkers like cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis. In this presentation, I shall discuss some of these developments and highlight the applications of new methods and devices in these areas.
Western Branch Meeting 2024-3 of the Royal Society of NSW — 26 June 2024
"Keeping plants and humans healthy: onsite molecular testing methods and devices for healthcare and agriculture"
Professor Muhammad Shiddiky
Distinguished Professor of Nanotechnology, Rural Health Research Institute
Charles Sturt University
https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/western-nsw-branch-meeting-2024-3
This lecture was a joint presentation of Charles Sturt University, as part of its Provocations Public Lecture Series, and the Western NSW Branch of the Royal Society of NSW
The presentation commences at 05:31
Timing Marks:
00:00:00 Introduction to the Speaker: Professor Mark Evans FRSN, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Charles Sturt University
00:05:31 Presentation: Professor Muhammad Shiddiky
00:44:20 Audience Q&A: moderated by Professor Mark Evans
01:06:42 Meeting Close
Summary: The availability of simple, fast, and affordable molecular testing methods and devices for detecting and treating diseases early on-site has the potential to change the way we approach healthcare and agriculture. This shift would move us towards a more personalised, predictive, and preventive model, focusing on early detection and effective management of diseases. Onsite or point-of-care (POC) testing, especially in remote areas like rural communities, ports, farms, and fields, would be extremely valuable.
Currently, diagnostic methods for healthcare and agriculture often require expensive materials, time-consuming procedures, and well-equipped centralised facilities, making them inaccessible in low-income countries and resource-poor settings. However, advancements in nanomaterials, nanofabrication technology, bioelectronics, and molecular testing methodologies have led to the development of more affordable on-site or POC molecular testing methods and devices.
In recent years, our team has used these advancements to create several molecular testing methods and devices for detecting various cancer biomarkers, such as circulating tumour cells (CTCs), extracellular vesicles (exosomes), miRNA, mRNA, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), cell-free DNA (cf-DNA), circulating tumour DNA (ct-DNA), agricultural biomarkers, including plant disease-causing pathogens and their corresponding nucleic acid sequences, and global water-related disease biomarkers like cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis. In this presentation, I shall discuss some of these developments and highlight the applications of new methods and devices in these areas.
