Laura Lechuga facts for kids

Laura M. Lechuga Gómez (born in Seville, Spain, in 1962) is a Spanish scientist. She is a leading expert in biosensors and a full professor. Currently, she guides the Nanobiosensors and Bioanalytical Application Group. This group works at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2).

Before this, she directed the Department of Sensors and Biosensors. This was at the IMM-CNM at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Dr. Lechuga has written many scientific papers. She also holds several patents for her inventions. Some of these inventions have been used by companies. She has worked on many research projects, often with international teams. She is also very active in promoting science.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Lechuga helped create a new test. It was a simple, fast, and affordable optical biosensor. This device could detect COVID-19.

Early Life and Education

Laura M. Lechuga was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain, in 1962. When she was in high school, she became very interested in molecular biology. This is the study of life at a very small, molecular level.

She went on to study chemistry at the University of Cádiz in Andalusia. There, she felt inspired to become a researcher. Dr. Lechuga completed her advanced studies at the Complutense University of Madrid. She earned her PhD in 1992. After that, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher. This was at the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology.

Research and Career

In 1995, Dr. Lechuga returned to Spain. She became the head of the biosensor group. This group was part of the Microelectronics National Center. It belonged to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

In 2008, she moved to Barcelona. She joined the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2). Her work there continued to focus on biosensors. Later, in 2012, she became an adjunct professor. This was at the University of Tromsø in Norway. In 2013, she also became a visiting professor. This role was at the University of Campinas in Brazil.

Developing Biosensors

Dr. Lechuga creates special biosensors using silicon. These sensors can be built into a "lab-on-a-chip" system. This means a tiny device can do many lab tests. She has developed different kinds of sensors. These include:

• Photonic Biosensors: These use light to detect things.
• Mach–Zehnder interferometers: These are devices that split and combine light beams.
• Opto-nano-mechanical sensors: These combine light, tiny movements, and very small parts.
• Magnetoplasmonic sensors: These use light and magnetic fields.

She wants to use these sensors in hospitals and clinics. They could help diagnose diseases like cancer. They can also be used for environmental monitoring. This means checking for pollution in the environment.

In 2018, she showed a new device. It was a point-of-care device. This means it can be used right where a patient is. It could quickly and accurately find Escherichia coli (a type of bacteria). The device used tiny arrays printed on special surfaces. Even people without much training could use it.

Fighting COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Lechuga worked on a new COVID-19 test. It was designed to be simple, cheap, and fast. Her idea came from a special grant program. The European Commission started this program in early 2020. They wanted to find quick ways to fight the pandemic.

Dr. Lechuga developed her idea in just ten days. She used her knowledge of optical biosensors. The test uses a very tiny optical sensor. This sensor has a special protein (an antibody) on it. This antibody can find the coronavirus.

The sensor itself is a waveguide interferometer. It uses a sample of saliva or sputum (mucus from the lungs). This sample helps detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If the virus is in the saliva, it sticks to the antibodies. This changes how a beam of light passes through the sensor. After the light is checked, the result goes to a smart phone or tablet. The whole process takes less than 30 minutes. The test can also find the virus's RNA using special DNA probes. This means it does not need a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which is often more complex.

Awards and Honours

Dr. Laura M. Lechuga has received several important awards:

• 2014: She was chosen as a Fellow of The Optical Society.
• 2016: She received the Real Sociedad Española de Física (RSEF) – BBVA Physics, Innovation and Technology Award.
• 2017: She was added to AcademiaNet. This is a special list of excellent women academics.

See also

In Spanish: Laura Lechuga para niños