Shankar Dutt
I am a researcher currently with the Research School of Physics of the Australian National University, investigating novel composite nanopore membranes. Using track etch technology and controlled breakdown technique, I work on an industrially compatible technology for the fabrication of extremely small nanopores of controllable shape and size in a variety of materials. Combining this technology with 2D materials such as Graphene or ultra-thin film deposition enables the fabrication of nanopore membranes with desired functionalities that can be used in medical and biological sensors, ultrafiltration, and lab-on-the-chip applications.
New Publication
Publication: High Accuracy Protein Identification: Fusion of Solid-StateNanopore Sensing and Machine Learning
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Proteins are arguably one of the most important class of biomarkers for health diagnostic purposes. Label-free solid-state nanopore sensing is a versatile technique for sensing and analyzing biomolecules such as proteins at single-molecule level. While molecular-level information on size, shape, and charge of proteins can be assessed by nanopores, the identification of proteins with comparable sizes remains a challenge. Here, solid-state nanopore sensing is combined with machine learning to address this challenge. The translocations of four similarly sized proteins is assessed using amplifiers with bandwidths (BWs) of 100 kHz and 10 MHz, the highest bandwidth reported for protein sensing, using nanopores fabricated in <10 nm thick silicon nitride membranes. F-values of up to 65.9% and 83.2% (without clustering of the protein signals) are achieved with 100 kHz and 10 MHz BW measurements, respectively, for identification of the four proteins. The accuracy of protein identification is further enhanced by classifying the signals into different clusters based on signal attributes, with F-value and specificity of up to 88.7% and 96.4%, respectively, for combinations of four proteins. The combined use of high bandwidth instruments, advanced clustering and machine learning methods allows label-free identification of proteins with high accuracy.
Journal Cover:
PhD
(Physics)
Australian National University, Australia
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Sept 2018 - present
M.Sc.
(Physics Hons. )
Guru Nanak Dev University, India
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July 2016 - June 2018
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University Rank - 1 (Gold Medalist).
CGPA - 9.85/10
B.Sc.
(Physics Hons. )
Guru Nanak Dev University, India
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July 2013 - June 2016
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University Rank - 1 (Gold Medalist)
CGPA - 9.92/10
Education
Media Highlight
Title: Simple test could help predict risk of Alzheimer’s disease 20 years in advance
....“Blood is a complex fluid that contains more than 10,000 different biomolecules. By employing advanced filtration techniques and harnessing our nanopore platform, combined with our intelligent machine learning algorithms, we may be able to identify even the most elusive proteins,” Mr Dutt said......
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2023
Title: Nanotechnology And AI Combine In Low-cost Blood Test For Early Alzheimer’s Detection
....“If that person can find out their risk level that far in advance, then it gives them plenty of time to start making positive lifestyle changes and adopt medication strategies that may help slow down the progression of the disease,” said Shankar Dutt.....
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2023
Title: Simple blood test could reveal earliest signs of Alzheimer’s up to 20 years before any symptoms
....“The quick and simple test could be done by GPs and other clinicians, which would eliminate the need for a hospital visit and prove especially convenient for people living in regional and remote areas.” said Mr Dutt.....
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2023
Title: How a coffee machine helped to make perfect nanopores
....“We’re the first to quantify the shape of the nanopores, using small-angle X-ray scattering at the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne. This will have a big impact: if you know the nanopore shape and how the pores form, you can design better experiments for advanced applications such as ultra-filtration, bio-sensors and so on accordingly.” said Mr Dutt, a PhD student in the Department of Materials Physics. .....