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Tuan Vo-Dinh CV

R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Duke Box 90281, Durham, NC 27708-0281
2589 CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708
CV

Overview


Dr. Tuan Vo-Dinh is R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Chemistry, and Director of The Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics.

Dr. Vo-Dinh’s research activities and interests involve biophotonics, nanophotonics, plasmonics, laser-excited luminescence spectroscopy, room temperature phosphorimetry, synchronous luminescence spectroscopy, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for multi-modality bioimaging, and theranostics (diagnostics and therapy) of diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases.

We have pioneered the development of a new generation of gene biosensing probes using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection with “Molecular Sentinels” and Plasmonic Coupling Interference (PCI) molecular probes for multiplex and label-free detection of nucleic acid biomarkers (DNA, mRNA, microRNA) in early detection of a wide variety of diseases.

In genomic and precision medicine, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnosis is of paramount importance with many advantages such as high specificity, high sensitivity, serotyping capability, and mutation detection. Using SERS-based plasmonic nanobiosensors and nanochips, we are developing novel nucleic acid detection methods that can be integrated into lab-on-a-chip systems for point-of-care diagnosis  (e.g., breast, GI cancer) and global health applications (e.g., detection of malaria and dengue).

In bioimaging, we are developing a novel multifunctional gold nanostar (GNS) probe for use in multi-modality bioimaging in pre-operative scans with PET, MRI and CT, intraoperative margin delineation with optical imaging, SERS and two-photon luminescence (TPL). The GNS can be used also for cancer treatment with plasmonics enhanced photothermal therapy (PTT), thus providing an excellent platform for seamless diagnostics and therapy (i.e., theranostics). Preclinical studies have shown its great potential for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics for future clinical translation.

For fundamental studies, various nanobiosensors are being developed for monitoring intracellular parameters (e.g., pH) and biomolecular processes (e.g., apoptosis, caspases), opening the possibility for fundamental molecular biological research as well as biomedical applications (e.g., drug discovery) at the single cell level in a systems biology approach. For point of care diagnostics, nanoprobes and nanochips with highly multiplex SERS detection and imaging use artificial intelligence and machine learning for data analysis.

Our research activities in immunotherapy involve unique plasmonics-active gold “nanostars.” These star-shaped nanobodies made of gold work like “lightning rods,” concentrating the electromagnetic energy at their tips and allowing them to capture photon energy more efficiently when irradiated by laser light. Teaming with medical collaborators, we have developed a novel cancer treatment modality, called synergistic immuno photothermal nanotherapy (SYMPHONY), which combines immune-checkpoint inhibition and gold nanostar–mediated photothermal immunotherapy that can unleash the immunotherapeutic efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors. This combination treatment can eradicate the primary tumors as well as distant “untreated” tumors, and induce immunologic memory like a “anti-cancer vaccine” effect in murine model.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering · 2007 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering · 2006 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Director of the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics · 2011 - Present Pratt School of Engineering
Professor in the Department of Chemistry · 2006 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2006 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published April 30, 2024
Lasers, Lenses & Light: A Showcase of Fitzpatrick Institute Photonics Research for the Community
Published January 30, 2024
A Marriage of AI and Photonics to Advance Imaging, Health Care and Public Safety
Published September 20, 2022
Nanorattles Shake Up New Possibilities for Disease Detection

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Recent Publications


Plasmonics-Enhanced Dual-Modal Colorimetric and Photothermal Lateral Flow Immunoassay Using Gold Nanocages

Journal Article Analytical Chemistry · April 1, 2025 Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) are widely recognized as cost-effective point-of-care diagnostic tools (POCT) for infectious disease diagnosis. Despite their widespread use, traditional colorimetric LFIAs, which rely on gold nanospheres (GNP), are constra ... Full text Cite

Tunable and scalable production of nanostar particle platforms for diverse applications using an AI-integrated automated synthesis system

Journal Article Journal of Materials Science · February 1, 2025 The tunable optical properties and exceptional electromagnetic field enhancement of nanostar-based plasmonic nanoparticles make them highly promising for a wide array of biomedical applications. However, a great challenge for their widespread use is the ti ... Full text Cite

Three-dimensional diffractive acoustic tomography.

Journal Article Nat Commun · January 29, 2025 Acoustically probing biological tissues with light or sound, photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging can provide anatomical, functional, and/or molecular information at depths far beyond the optical diffusion limit. However, most photoacoustic and ultrasound ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


RAPID System for Early Detection of Head and Neck Cancer in Low-Resource Settings

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2027

Hummink NAZCA High-Precision Capillary Flow Printer

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2026

Integrated Acoustofluidic Plasmonic Molecular Diagnostic System for Detecting MicroRNA Biomarkers

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-ETH Zurich (Switzerland) · 1975 Ph.D.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-EPFL Lausanne (Switzerland) · 1971 B.S.