Welcome to the Li Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip & Nanotechnology group for Bioanalysis, and Biomedical, Forensic, Environmental & Catalysis Applications at UTEP.

Our mission is to develop state-of-the-art microfluidic and nanotechnology for cutting-edge research in analytical chemistry, biological science, biomedical engineering, environmental and catalysis science and engineering.

We welcome talented individuals to join the group for innovative discovery in a multidisciplinary research environment.

•  Two new postdoc positins available: (one for POC cancer biomarker detection using nanotechnology, and the other one for POC infectious disease study using microfluidic biochips): if you are interested, please send your CV to Dr. Li. (Update: Just filled)

• 10/19/2024: Dr. Li received a Travel Grant Award for GEM on the Road’s PFI Programming.
• 10/16/2024: Dr. Li has been named World's Top Researchers (2% of the most cited researchers by Elsevier). Link 1. Local link.
• 09/05/2024: A new paper was accepted for publication by Lab Chip. Congrats to Sanjay et al! "Timilsina, S. S.; Li, X.* A Paper-in-Polymer-Pond (PiPP) Hybrid Microfluidic Microplate for Multiplexed Ultrasensitive Detection of Cancer Biomarkers, Lab Chip 2024, 24, In Press."
• 08/12/2024: Dr. Li was Named Top Scholar by ScholarGPS (Ranked #33 in Microfluidics in recent 5 years)! 
• 08/05/2024: Welcome another new postdoc Tugba joined our group! 
• 07/30/2024: Welcome a new postdoc Sapna joined our group! 
• 06/04/2024: A new paper about COVID-19 has been accepted for publication by TrAC. "Li, C.; Zhou, W.; Gutierrez, A.; Mohammadi, Y.; Li, Q.; Zhang, S.; Li, X.;* Fu, G.* Microfluidic immunoassays for point-of-care testing of SARS-CoV-2 antigens and antibodies. TRAC - Trend Anal Chem 2024, In Press. (IF 2022, 13.1)". Congrats to all authors!
• 06/02/2024: A new manuscript regarding a hybrid PiPP microfluidic microplate for multiplexed cancer biomarker detection been submitted for publication. 
• 05/08/2024:  A new paper has been accepted for publication by ACS Applied Material & Interface. Cheers!(Yuan, L.; Gao, X.;* Kang, R.; Zhang, X.; Meng, X.; Li, X.C.;* Li, X.* Flexible Strain Sensors Based on an Interlayer Synergistic Effect of Nanomaterials for Continuous and Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring, ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024, In Press. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c04134. (2021 IF 10.4))
• 05/04/2024: A new manuscript regarding COVID-19 detection has been submitted for publication. 
• 02/18/2024: Angel gave a presentation on forensic pathology in the AAFS 2024 conference held in Denver. This is the first forensic science undergraduate student presetnation at AAFS conferences from UTEP.
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• 12/30/2023: A new patent application received Notice of Allowance. "X.J. Li*, Zhou, W.; “Low-cost quantitative photothermal genetic detection of pathogens on a paper hybrid device”, U.S. Provisional Patent (# 63087709). Filed on October 5, 2020. - U.S. Patent (# 17/450,049). Filed on October 5, 2021. -Granted on 03/29/2024. US Patent #: ???."
• 11/09/2023: A new patent application received Notice of Allowance. "X.J. Li*, Zhou, W.; “Gold nanoparticles aggregation-induced quantitative photothermal biosensing using a thermometer: a simple and universal biosensing platform”. U.S. Patent (#17/112,841). Filed on December 4, 2020."
  
• 05/31/2023: Dr. Li is featured in UTEP CoS media Facebook in Celebrating Diversity in Science post. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041306904531 
• 05/18/2023: A new paper about glucose detection by electrochemical detection was accepted for publication in Biosensors. Congrats to all contributors! "Henao-Pabon,⁺ G.;  Gao, N.;⁺  Prasad, K. S.;⁺ Li, X.,* Direct Electron Transfer of Glucose Oxidase on Pre-Anodized Paper/Carbon Electrodes Modified Through Zero-Length Cross-linkers For Glucose Biosensors. Biosensors 2023, In Press."
• 03/15/2023: A new collaborative paper has been accepted for publication by Trends in Biotechnology. Cheers! "Zhang, C.; Liu, H.; Li, X.; Xu, F.; Li, Z. Modularized Synthetic Biology Enabled Intelligent Biosensors, Trends in Biotechnology 2023, In Press. (2021 IF 21.9)"
• 03/02/2023: A new paper regarding glucose detection has been submitted for publication.
• 02/01/2023: One of our paper is selected as ESI TOP 1% Paper! Cheers. "Sanjay, S. T.; + Zhou, W.; + Dou, M.; + Tavakoli, H.; Ma, L.; Xu, F.; Li, X .* Recent Advances of Controlled Drug Delivery Using Microfluidic Platforms, Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018, 128, 3-28. DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.09.013. (2021 IF 17.9). 
  †Clarivate Highly Cited Paper!
  ESI Top 1% Paper! "
• 01/12/2023: Dr. Li is invited to become an Editorial Board Member, Microsystems & Nanoengineering from Nature Publishing Group (IF 8.0). https://www.nature.com/micronano/editorial-board 
• 01/11/2023: A new paper has been accepted for publication by View. "Katla, S. K.;⁺ Zhou, W.;⁺ Tavakoli, H.; Mendez, E.; Li, X.* Portable in-situ temperature-dependent spectroscopy on a low-cost microfluidic platform integrated with a battery-powered thermofoil heater, View 2023, 4, 20220053."
• 01/05/2023: Dr. Li was highlighted in UTEP News for his professional development leave award (Hosted by Dr. Joseph Wang at UCSD). Link for details. 
• 01/02/2023: Welcome a new Ph.D. student to join our research group, Yasaman Mohamadi !
• 01/01/2023: Dr. Li is chairing a Faculty Search Committee for an assitant professor in forensic science and analytical chemistry. See the positions details. 
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• 11/02/2022: A new paper has been accepted for publication by Lab Chip. Congrats to Hamed and Elisabeth et al! "Tavakoli, H.; Hirth, E.; Luo, M.; Sharma, S.; Dou, M.; Dominguez, D. C.; Li, X.* A microfluidic fully paper-based analytical device integrated with loop-mediated isothermal amplification and nano-biosensors for rapid, sensitive, and specific quantitative detection of infectious diseases, Lab Chip 2022, In Press. DOI: 10.1039/D1032LC00834C."
• 10/26/2022: A new paper has been accepted for publication by Analyst. Cheers! "Li, H.; Deng, R.; Tavakoli, H.; Li, X.C.;* Li, X.* Ultrasensitive detection of acephate based on carbon quantum dots-mediated fluorescence inner filter effects, Analyst 2022, In Press. DOI: 10.1039/D2AN01552H."
• 10/24/2022: A new review paper on nanomaterial-based microfluidic platform for biosensing has been accepted for publication in TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry. Congratulations to Hamed et al. "Tavakoli, H; Mohammadi, S.; Li, X.C.; Fu, G.;* Li, X.* Microfluidic platforms integrated with nano-sensors for point-of-care bioanalysis, TRAC - Trend Anal Chem 2022, In Press. (Invited. 2021 IF 14.9)."
• 08/03/2022:  We received a new major NSF grant award for the acquisition of major equipment XPS for material science and engineering (total funds: $600,000; PI: Li, Xiujun). Thanks to all people who support this application! Cheers! Now we move to the purchase stage. Stay tuned.
• 08/01/2022: Welcome two new Ph.D. students to join our research group, Somayeh Mohammadi and Samuel  Ajiboye! 
• 07/19/2022: A new paper regarding continuous flow nanocatalysis system on a microfluidic device has been accepted for publication by ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. Congratulations to Kaiqiang et al! "Hu, K.; Ma, L.; Wang, Z.;^* Fernandez-Delgado, O.; Garay, Y.; Lopez, J. A.; Li, X.* Facile synthesis and integration of polyvinyl alcohol sponge-supported metal nanocatalysts on a microfluidic chip enable a new continuous flow multi-reactor nanocatalysis platform for high efficiency and reusability catalysis, ACS Sustain Chem Eng 2022, In Press.".
• 7/18/2022: A new collaborative paper regarding nanomaterials for electrocatalysis was accepted for publication by International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. "Ge, Y.; Wu, Y.; Ma, L.; Li, X.; Román, M.; Chianelli, R. R.; Torres, B.; Villagrán, D. Amine and Carbon-pretreated nickel–molybdenum disulfide as bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen gas evolution, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2022, In Press. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.06.114."
• 07/08/2022: Our group received a new NSF grant for technology innovation in rapid infectious disease diagnosis (PI: Xiujun Li). Cheers！ 
• 07/05/2022: EClinicalMedcine, a Lancet family journal in which we published a paper (Dou, M.; Macias, N.; Shen, F.; Dien Bard, J.; Dominguez, D. C.;* Li, X.* Rapid and Accurate Pertussis Diagnosis on a Point-of-Care Biochip, EClinicalMedicine 2019, 8, 72-77), received a new impact factor of 17.03. 
• 06/10/2022: Dr. Li is promoted to Full Professor! Many thanks for all group members' great work and every colleague, collaborator, and UTEP administrator and staff's strong support! 
• 06/02/2022: A new manuscript regarding in-situ temperature-dependent spectroscopy was submited for publication. 
• 05/23/2022: A new manuscript about cancer microenvironment and immunotherapy has been accepted by ADDR for publication. Congrats to Jie, Hamed and Lei et al.  "Zhang, J.;⁺ Tavakoli, H.;⁺ Ma, L.; Li, X. C.; Han, L.; Li, X.* Immunotherapy discovery on tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms that recapitulate the tumor microenvironment, Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022, In Press. (2021 IF 15.5)"
• 04/08/2022: A new manuscript about food safety study was submitted for publication.
• 03/29/2022: A new collaborative manuscript about environmental study has been accepted for publication. Getahun, Y. W.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.; Manciu, F. S.; Li, X.;* El-Gendy, A. A.* Green synthesized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for water treatment with alternative recyclability, J Mol Liq 2022, 356, 118983. (2021 IF 6.2)
• 03/19/2022: A new manuscript about paper microfluidic devie for pathogen detection was submitted for publication. 
• 02/16/2022: A new paper is selected as Clarivate "Highly Cited Paper". "Lv, M.;⁺ Zhou, W.;⁺ Tavakoli, H.;⁺ Bautista, C.; Xia, J.;* Wang, Z.; Li, X.* Aptamer-functionalized Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for biosensing, Biosens Bioelectron 2021, 176,112947". Cheers!
• 02/08/2022: A new invited manuscript regarding cancer microenvironment and immunotherapy has been submitted for publication. 
• 01/21/2022: Dr. Li was appointed as the new Director of Forensic Science Program.
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