My research program at Oregon State University is involved in developing new electrochemical sensors to study microbial metabolism at high spatial and temporal resolution. We are specifically interested in studying bacterial metabolic interactions with other bacterial species, biomaterials, and the immediate microenvironment surrounding the bacteria. We have developed micron-sized Ca2+, pH, H2O2, NH4+ and lactate sensors to be used as a chemical probe in scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to quantitatively map the local chemical environment produced by live dental biofilms and their effects on the integrity of the dental composites. In addition, we are also involved in synthesizing a variety of glucose-modified dendron molecules to construct bacterial microhabitat using 3D hydrogel printing to study the bacterial metabolic interactions between different bacterial species.
