Sequencing DNA with Semiconductors: The Incredible Potential and Challenges of Silicon Devices in the Life Sciences
ABSTRACT
At Thermo Fisher Scientific we work every day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. To make the world healthier, we are democratizing clinical next-generation sequencing (NGS) with fast, automated platforms that provide sample-to-answer solutions with minimal hands-on time. Our technology features CMOS image sensors and is built upon the mature, expansive semiconductor manufacturing and packaging industries, creating a unique value proposition for our customers. Rapid genetic profiling is already showing benefits in oncology treatment and is a critical part for the future of personalized medicine. The exciting potential for microfabricated devices and MEMS in the life sciences comes with its own set of new and unique challenges spanning fabrication, packaging, and system integration – overcoming these could be both incredibly powerful and personally rewarding.
BIOGRAPHY
Phil Waggoner is the director of Chemistry and Data Analytics R&D at Thermo Fisher Scientific and has over 20 years of experience developing semiconductor devices for biotechnology applications. He leads a global team of scientists responsible for both developing CMOS image sensors for next-generation DNA sequencing and characterizing the chips, platforms, and workflow from early R&D to on-market product support through a custom suite of data science tools. He has a BS in Materials Engineering from the University of Illinois and a PhD in Applied Physics from Cornell University, where he fabricated and studied the behavior of resonant MEMS biosensors for sensitive protein detection.