Author, Institution: Gazy Khatmi Rodowan Albedry, Kaunas University of Technology
Science area, field of science: Natural Sciences, Physics, N002
Research supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tomas Tamulevičius (Kaunas University of Technology, Natural Sciences, Physics, N002)
Dissertation Defence Board of Physics Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Diana Adlienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Natural Sciences, Physics, N002) – chairperson
Prof. Dr. Hab. Arvaidas Galdikas (Kaunas University of Technology, Natural Sciences, Physics, N002)
Chief Researcher Dr. Mindaugas Gedvilas (State Research Institute Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008)
Prof. Dr. Yogendra Kumar Mishra (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark, Natural Sciences, Physics, N002)
Senior Researcher Dr. Evaldas Stankevičius (State Research Institute Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology, Natural Sciences, Physics, N002)
Dissertation defence meeting will be at Rectorate Hall of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio 73-402, Kaunas)
The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (Gedimino 50, Kaunas) and on the internet:G. Khatmi Rodowan Albedry el. dissertation.pdf
© G. Khatmi Rodowan Albedry, 2026 “The text of the thesis may not be copied, distributed, published, made public, including by making it publicly available on computer networks (Internet), reproduced in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical or other means. Pursuant to Article 25(1) of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Lithuania, a person with a disability who has difficulties in reading a document of a thesis published on the Internet, and insofar as this is justified by a particular disability, shall request that the document be made available in an alternative form by e-mail to doktorantura@ktu.lt.”
Annotation: This dissertation addresses key limitations of conventional lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) biosensors, particularly their limited sensitivity and lack of quantitative capability. The work proposes a comprehensive framework for improving point-of-care diagnostics through the integration of three advanced approaches: photophysical nanomaterial synthesis, laser-assisted microfluidic control, and machine learning. Femtosecond pulsed laser ablation in water (PLAW) is employed to synthesize ligand-free nanoparticles of silver, gold, copper, platinum, and platinum-gold alloys. This environmentally friendly method produces high-purity nanomaterials with enhanced stability and improved bioconjugation efficiency compared to chemically synthesized counterparts. To further enhance assay performance, femtosecond laser micromachining is used to modify nitrocellulose membranes by introducing microchannels that precisely control capillary flow. This modification extends the wicking time up to 400 s compared to 20 s for pristine membranes and increases signal sensitivity by approximately 40%. In addition, an automated machine learning pipeline based on a U-Net architecture is developed to enable objective and highly accurate result interpretation. The system eliminates user bias and achieves 99.3% accuracy in detecting positive signals at concentrations as low as 1 ng/mL, including cases where signals are not visually distinguishable. Experimental findings demonstrate that laser-synthesized platinum and platinum-gold alloy nanoparticles significantly outperform conventional gold nanoparticles, achieving up to a five-fold improvement in the limit of detection while maintaining stability for nearly one year. The proposed integrated platform offers a scalable and ultrasensitive solution for detecting clinically relevant biomarkers, including SARS-CoV-2 and antibiotic-resistant β-lactamases.