Speaker: Dr. Md Humayun Kabir, Kennesaw State University
Title: "Multifunctional Nanoscale Materials as Next Generation Platforms for Chemical, Biological, and Forensic Sensing"
Abstract: The next frontier in environmental security and healthcare will be defined not by centralized laboratories, but by intelligent, miniaturized sensing systems capable of detecting threats at the molecular level. Nanoscale materials are poised to drive this transformation. By engineering matter at the molecular and atomic scales, we can develop highly sensitive and selective platforms capable of detecting various analytes and interpreting chemical and biological signals with unprecedented precision. Among these emerging materials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) nanomaterials represent a paradigm shift in sensor design. Their modular architectures, ultrahigh surface areas, and tunable pore environments enable exquisite control over host–guest interactions, catalytic reactivity, and optical/luminescence or electrochemical responses. This structural precision allows us to design nanoscale systems capable of ultra-trace detection of heavy metals, toxic industrial chemicals, chemical warfare agents, and biomarkers such as nucleic acids and glucose. By coupling molecular recognition with signal amplification, MOF and MOF-based nanocomposites platforms offer powerful new tools for environmental monitoring, forensic attribution, and point-of-care diagnostics. My research vision is to establish nanoscale materials as smart, multifunctional sensing platforms that bridge chemistry, materials science, environmental chemistry, and biomedical diagnostics. I aim to develop robust, sensitive, and portable systems that operate in complex real-world environments, while advancing fundamental understanding of adsorption, transduction, and stability at interfaces. Ultimately, this work seeks to move sensing from passive detection to proactive protection, enabling earlier warning of environmental threats, stronger forensic evidence, and more accessible healthcare diagnostics. This seminar will present ongoing and future research directions toward this vision, outline strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration and competitive funding, and discuss my commitment to mentoring diverse undergraduate and graduate researchers in building the next generation of nanoscale sensing technologies.