(7ap) Design and Development of Ocular Disease Diagnostic System, and Point-of-Care Microsystem

My research interests are below

1) Diagnosis of ocular disease by analyzing biomarkers from tear fluids

2) Diagnosis of ocular infections by influenza A virus

3) Development of point-of-care (POC) system for self-diagnosis of ocular diseases

Ocular disease influence human vision and their life quality. In the worldwide, there are 285 million people who have visual impairment, and the number of the people increases approximately 7 million in every year. Although diverse ophthalmic pharmaceuticals have been developed, people are still suffering from diverse ocular disease due to the late diagnosis of the diseases. Thus, development of early diagnostic system which can detect the ocular diseases with high speed, sensitivity, and cost effective manner are critical issues. In addition, development of point-of-care (POC) system for ocular disease detection at early stage is important to demonstrate self-diagnostic system at home or office.

1) Diagnosis of ocular disease by analyzing biomarkers from tear fluids

As the advance of the genetic and proteomic assay, tear fluid has been exploited as a source of biomarker analysis to diagnose the diseases. Tear fluid is including various biomarkers such as proteins, lipids, and oligonucleotides. Furthermore, tear is less complex body fluid than serum or plasma, and can be obtained without invasive method. Recently, proteomic research by analyzing protein biomarkers in tear fluid have been widely studied to diagnose ocular disease such as glaucoma, dry eye diseases. Since eye is a part of central nervous system, neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease) also can be identified using tear fluids. In addition, tear fluid includes high concentration of microRNA (miRNA), which have been intensely studied to identify their roles in the body, and many functions of miRNAs are not covered yet. Since miRNA can provide early, non-invasive diagnostic tools, tear fluid analysis has been getting interests as an attractive research field. In particular, it was reported that it would be possible to detect posterior ocular disease (i.e. age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy) and choroidal neovascularization at the initial stage by analyzing the miRNA in the tear fluid.

I have been working on ocular drug delivery using a microneedle. Since I have learned ocular anatomy, diseases, and pharmaceuticals, I have comprehensive knowledge to diagnose ocular diseases. In addition, since Ph.D. thesis was pathogen detection based on genetic and immune assay, I had obtained knowledge about genetic analysis technique; DNA/RNA amplification (i.e. single/multiplex PCR, isothermal amplification; LAMP, RPA), DNA/RNA purification from human samples, DNA chemistry, DNA capillary electrophoresis, immune assay technique; immune reaction with conjugate chemistry, target detection method (i.e. ELISA), the protein structure analysis. Thus, I believe I can successfully investigate the analysis of miRNAs and proteins in the tear fluid with confidence.

2) Diagnosis of ocular infections by influenza A virus

Since ocular infection by influenza A virus have been reported, the ocular diagnosis of the influenza A virus have been issued. It was found that the influenza virus prefer eye epithelial cell because the epithelial cell has more alpha 2-3 sialic acid linkage receptors in the ocular surface which are preferred by the influenza virus for the transmission. Accordingly, the ocular infection by the influenza virus is very contagious, and the virus is rapidly transferred into the respiratory organ in the body. The multiple reassortment of the influenza virus gene have been occurred continuously by transmission of the virus from animal to animal/human. Thus, early diagnosis of the influenza A virus should be critical issues to prevent virus rage. Since eye swab is safer from RNA damage and relatively clearer than nasal swab, diagnosis using eye samples is advantageous to analyze the influenza A virus.

I have performed pathogen detection projects based on immune/genetic assay using different materials such as graphene/graphene oxide, sol-gel, and metal micro/nanoparticles. In the projects, I have learned material properties, and basic analytical chemistry (i.e. TEM, SEM, AFM, XPS, and XRD). I used the HA protein and RNA of influenza A viruses (i.e. A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and A/H5N1) in the projects to identify and subtype of the viruses. Those experiences relating to influenza A virus will be helpful to investigate the ocular infections.

3) Development of point-of-care (POC) system for self-diagnosis of ocular diseases

Diagnosis of ocular disease at early stage is important to increase drug efficacy and the fully recovery rate. Thus, development of rapid, sensitive, multiplex, and on-site detection system to diagnose ocular disease will be one of my research interest. Since Lab-on-a-chip technology can transfer extensive diagnostic technologies into the portable microchip, a POC system can be demonstrated by combination with electrical, optical, or colorimetric technology with cost-effective manner. Moreover, since the POC system enables self-diagnosis at home/office and can be developed without using expensive instrumentations, it can be used as a doctor in developing countries.

My Ph.D. thesis was developing pathogen detection system in the microfluidic platforms. I had learned different microfluidic chips. Since, I fabricated diverse microchips made by glass, silicone, quartz, polycarbonate, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), I have learned various fabrication methods (i.e. photo/soft lithography, by using a CO₂ laser cutting, milling machine cutting). According to the target and detection methods, diagnostic microsystem can be optimized to maximize the detection sensitivity and specificity. Since I have experienced with various microchips, I would like to develop and launch a POC microsystem in the market.

Postdoctoral Projects

- “Suprachoroidal Drug Delivery for Retina Disorders.” NIH (1R01EY022097-01A1) Under supervision of Dr. Mark Prausnitz, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering/Biomedical engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

- “VLP Vaccine Technology, Microneedle delivery of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) virus like particle.” NIH (5R01AI105170-02). Under supervision of Dr. Mark Prausnitz, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering/Biomedical engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

PhD Dissertation

“Development of a Total Integrated Rotary Genetic Analysis Microsystem for Rapid and Multiplex Pathogen Detection.”

Under supervision of Dr. Tae Seok Seo, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Selected Publications

B. Chiang, N. Venugopal, H.E. Grossniklaus, J.H. Jung, H.F. Edelhauser and M.R. Prausnitz, 2017. “Thickness and Closure Kinetics of the Suprachoroidal Space Following Microneedle Injection of Liquid Formulations”. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 58, 555-564.

J.H. Jung, B.H. Park, S.J. Oh, G. Choi and T.S. Seo, 2015. “Integrated centrifugal reverse transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification microdevice for influenza A virus detection”. Biosens. Bioelectron., 68, 218-224.

J.H. Jung, B.H. Park, S.J. Oh, G. Choi and T.S. Seo, 2015. “Integration of reverse transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification with an immunochromatographic strip on a centrifugal microdevice for influenza A virus identification”. Lab Chip, 15, 718-725.

Y.T. Kim*, J.H. Jung*, Y.K. Choi and T.S. Seo (*co-first author), 2014. “A packaged paper fluidic-based microdevice for detecting gene expression of influenza A virus”. Biosens. Bioelectron. 61, 485-490.

J.H. Jung, T.J. Park, S.Y. Lee and T.S. Seo, 2012. “Homogeneous Biogenic Paramagnetic Nanoparticle Synthesis Based on a Microfluidic Droplet Generator”. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51, 5634-5637.

J.H. Jung, D.S. Cheon, F. Liu, K.B. Lee and T.S. Seo, 2010. “A Graphene Oxide Based Immuno-Biosensor for Pathogen Detection”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 49, 5708-5711.

Teaching Interests:

Aside from my research career, I have extensive teaching experience as a TA and RA. During graduate student, I TAed Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) Laboratory, Organic Chemistry, and DNA chemistry in School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in KAIST, Korea as a part of government fellowship. All classes were performed in English. I had worked as an RA of undergraduate research program (URP) in KAIST and the research class for undergraduates in CBE during graduate school. Also, I mentored graduate students in my group. In the Georgia Institute of Technology, I have performed ocular drug delivery projects with three undergraduates for 2 year. One of students is from Thailand and she had joined as a government undergraduate research program in Chulalongkorn University, Thailand for one semester.

Since I have immersed diverse research field I believe those experiences obviously will be helpful to my teaching. My research experiences are focused in the fields including Molecular Biology, Molecular Diagnostics, Bio-conjugate Chemistry, and DNA Engineering. Thus, my teaching interests are also there in the same field. I also have interest in teaching of microfluidics, recent topics in chemical and biomolecular engineering.

In particularly, I would like to develop the class, ‘Point-of-care (POC) system design and development’. In my opinion, students should have wide insights in their fields. Thus, I would like to let student develop POC system from design to demonstration in this class. Although pre-requisites, basic classes, will be required to take this class, students can widely comprehend recent technology trends in their fields by literature survey and will understand how to design POC system. Actual development will be limited, but students will learn how to use their knowledge which earned in the class. I also would like to include importance of patents in the system development.