BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Lucy Tecle (J. Linnes, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:00pm. Research Title: Point-of-care HPV Protein Detection on Paper-based Immunoassays for Early Cervical Cancer Screening Date: Friday, October 6, 2023 Time: 2-4pm Location: MJIS 2001 and Zoom Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99327377222<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F99327377222&data=05%7C01%7Cbmegradstudents-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C226a2a928c0b4bea5a7308dbc4f04b40%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638320308580282454%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7BK4jnWXpzuA%2B0dgd0j3Qtu2M9i9zxDzhk4YK114TSI%3D&reserved=0> Thesis Committee: Jacqueline Linnes, Chair Sulma Mohammed Natalia Rodriguez Lia Stanciu Abstract: ~85% of cervical cancer-related deaths occurred in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) due to limited access to medical resources in 2018. In response, the World Health Organization called for action on the global elimination of cervical cancer through two preventive interventions: human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations and early screening. Persistent, high-risk HPV infections are the primary cause of cervical cancer. Vaccination programs are implemented with more success in developed countries than LMIC; hence, there is a prominent need for accessible, early screening. Conventional testing with Pap smears and visual inspection via acetic acid are not robust enough for primary screening. While highly sensitive and specific detection is possible, HPV DNA tests necessitate lab-intensive, costly equipment to operate. Therefore, HPV protein detection is a promising fit for LMIC at the point of care. Specifically, the HPV16 L1 capsid protein has been chosen as the target biomarker for a paper-based lateral flow immunoassay test. Coupled with gold nanoparticles for colorimetric read-outs, antibody-antigen detection was enzymatically amplified to address concerns towards poor sensitivity. The design of the HPV16 L1 immunoassay, development of a signal-enhanced paper-based test, and scalability to clinical testing will be examined. Tools for user-friendly image interpretation and multiplexed antigen detection upon a two-dimensional paper network will be assessed for further insights into stage-specific disease progression. Collectively, these efforts will prototype and validate the performance of an HPV antigen test for cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings. Global elimination of cervical cancer is possible with the implementation and success of early screening technologies.