Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

Dr Abu Ali Ibn Sina

NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow
Trau Group
+18578290700
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Dr. Abu Sina specialises in nano-biotechnology and liquid biopsies in oncology

​Dr. Sina's research focuses on developing nanotechnologies for liquid biopsy applications and solving clinical problems in the area of medical diagnostics and precision oncology. His expertise spans various facets of basic and translational research in the area of chemistry, molecular biology, nano-biotechnology, liquid biopsy, biosensing, microfluidics etc. His research opened a new field of research termed "interfacial biosensing" which obviated many limitations associated with current biosensing techniques. Notably, his recent discovery of DNA nano-signature-based 10-minute universal cancer detection test has received global media attention and highlighted in >400 international news articles including CNN, The Smithsonian Magazine, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Forbes, The Australian, The Conversation, etc.

Dr. Sina demonstrated a strong track record with 48 publications (12 as the 1st author, 13 as the corresponding author), and a patent (PCT/AU2019/051131). 96% of his articles are published in Q1 journals which are the top 10% in the field of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology, (Source: (SciVal, Feb 2021)). These include 2 Nature Communications, 1 Accounts of Chemical Research, 1 ACS Nano, 1 Science Advances, 1 Advanced Functional Materials, 1 Nanoscale Horizons, 4 Biosensors, and Bioelectronics, etc. He has been a Keynote/Invited speaker/Session Chair on many occasions and presented his research at several national and international conferences and seminars. Examples include Imperial College London Life Science Seminar 2022, Elsevier World Congress on Biosensors-2021, The International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 2021 and 2015, ICONN conference 2020 in Brisbane, Australia, International Association for Advanced Materials conference 2019 in Singapore, etc.

​Dr. Abu Sina is an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Emerging Leader Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University, USA. Before joining Columbia, he was a Visiting Scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, USA. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh. Prior to joining the academia, he held positions in multinational companies such as Berger Paints and Beximco Limited. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his contribution to developing translational-directed nano-diagnostic technologies for the early detection of cancer.  For instance, he is one of the principal inventors of the DNA nano-signature-based cancer test dubbed as "10-minute universal cancer test". He is a Fellow member of the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM). He has also achieved several awards such as Metrohm- EDRACI Young Electrochemist Award, Rising Star of Journal Small, Queensland Health and Medical Research Award 2019, Young Scientist Award 2020 from the International Association of Advanced Materials, etc. He is also engaged in several social organizations. His vision is to develop point-of-care diagnostic technologies for the early detection of diseases that could improve the quality of life.

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Trau Group

Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, Molecular diagnostics

Industry

​Dr. Sina's research has attracted research funding from leading biotech industries such as AstraZeneca and philanthropic funding from an Australian Gold Mining company (i.e. Evolution Mining). One of Dr. Sina's discoveries has recently been licensed by a US company (i.e. aiGENE).

Collaborations

​Dr. Sina's research received a great deal of interest from the global scientific community and opened new collaborative opportunities across the world. Notable examples include Prof. Adam Bass, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University, USA; Assoc. Professor David Barbie, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, USA; Prof. Andrea Califano, Chair of the Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, USA;  James Hadfield, Director of Epigenomics Oncology Translational Medicine at AstraZeneca.

Funding

​Dr. Sina's research has attracted >2M grant funding from national and international competitive funding sources such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Research Council (ARC), and The University of Queensland internal grants. His research has also attracted funding from industries such as AstraZeneca and philanthropic funding from industries and individuals.

Key Publications

For a full list of publications, please click here.

  1. Sina, A A. I., Carrascosa, L. G., Ziyu, L., Grewal, Y. S., Wardiana, A., Shiddiky, M. J. A., Gardiner, F., Samaratunga, H., Gandhi, M., Scott, R., Korbie, D., Trau, Epigenetically reprogrammed methylation landscape drives the self-assembly of DNA and can serve as a universal cancer biomarker. Nature Communications, 9, 4915 (2018)

  2. Reza, K. K., Dey, S., Wuethrich, A., Wang, J., Behren, A., Wang, Y., Sina, A. A. I.*, Trau, M*. Single cell proteomics with a SERS encoded microfluidic chip reveals circulating tumour cell heterogeneity during treatment. ACS Nano, 15, 11231-11243 (2021).

  3. Sina, A. A. I., Lin, T-Y., Vaidyanathan, R., Wang, Z., Wang, J., Dey, S. Behren, A., Wuethrich, A., Carrascosa, L. G., Trau, M. Methylation dependent gold adsorption behaviour identifies extracellular vesicular DNA for cancer. Nanoscale Horizons, 5, 1317-1323 (2020).

  4. Reza, K. K., Sina, A. A. I.*, Wuethrich, A., Korbie, D., Wang, Y., Trau, M*. A  SERS microfluidic platform for targeting multiple soluble immune checkpoints. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 126, 178-186 (2018)

  5. Li, J., Wuethrich, A., Sina, A. A. I., Cheng, H., Wang, Y., Behren4, A., Mainwaring, P. N., Trau, M. A novel, disruptive, single molecule digital nanopillar SERS platform for the prediction and monitoring of immune related toxicities in immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Nature Communications, 12, 1087 (2021)

  6. Hossain, Tanvir, Ahmed, Shamim, Syfuddin, H.M. and Sina, Abu(2019).2D nanomaterials for quantitative and qualitative analysis of DNA methylation. In Md Nurunnabi and Jason McCarthy(Ed.), Biomedical applications of graphene and 2D nanomaterials(pp. *-*) Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
  7. Ibn Sina, A. A., Koo, K. M., Ahmed, M., Carrascosa, L. G. and Trau, M. (2018).Interfacial biosensing: direct biosensing of biomolecules at the bare metal interface. In Encyclopedia of interfacial chemistry: surface science and electrochemistry (pp. 269-277)Amsterdam: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-409547-2.14188-5
  8. Dey, Shuvashis, Vaidyanathan, Ramanathan, Reza, K. Kamil, Wang, Jing, Wang, Yuling, Nel, Hendrik J., Law, Soi-Cheng, Tyler, Jennifer, Rossjohn, Jamie, Reid, Hugh H., Ibn Sina, Abu Ali, Thomas, Ranjeny and Trau, Matt (2019)A microfluidic-SERSplatform for isolation and immuno-phenotyping of antigen specific T-cells. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 284 281-288. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2018.12.099
  9. Dey, Shuvashis, Kamil Reza, K., Wuethrich, Alain, Korbie, Darren, Ibn Sina, Abu Ali and Trau, Matt (2019)Tracking antigen specific T-cells: technological advancement and limitations. Biotechnology Advances, 37 1: 145-153. doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.11.010
  10. Sina, A.A.I., Vaidyanathan, R., Wuethrich, A., Carrascosa, L. G. and Trau, M. (2019)Label-free detection of exosomes using surface plasmon resonance biosensor. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, .
  11. Khalil, I., Yehye, W.A., Julkapli, N.M., Rahmati, S., Sina, A.A.I., Basirun, W.F. and Johan, M.R. (2019)Graphene oxide and gold nanoparticle based dual platform with short DNA probe for the PCR free DNA biosensing using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Biosensors and Bioelectronics, .
  12. Dey, Shuvashis, Koo, Kevin, Wang, Zhaoran, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Wuethrich, Alain and Trau, Matt (2018)An integrated multi-molecular sensor for simultaneous BRAFV600E protein and DNA single point mutation detection in circulating tumour cells. Lab on a Chip, . doi:10.1039/c8lc00991k
  13. Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Carrascosa, Laura G., Liang, Ziyu, Grewal, Yadveer S., Wardiana, Andri, Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A., Gardiner, Robert A., Samaratunga, Hemamali, Gandhi, Maher K., Scott, Rodney J., Korbie, Darren and Trau, Matt (2018)Epigenetically reprogrammed methylation landscape drives the DNA self-assembly and serves as a universal cancer biomarker. Nature Communications, 9 1: 4915. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-07214-w
  14. Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Carrascosa, Laura G., Liang, Ziyu, Grewal, Yadveer S., Wardiana, Andri, Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A., Gardiner, Robert A., Samaratunga, Hemamali, Gandhi, Maher K., Scott, Rodney J., Korbie, Darren and Trau, Matt (2018)Epigenetically reprogrammed methylation landscape drives the DNA self-assembly and serves as a universal cancer biomarker. Nature Communications, 9 1: . doi:10.1038/s41467-018-07214-w
  15. Reza, K. Kamil, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Wuethrich, Alain, Grewal, Yadveer S., Howard, Christopher B., Korbie, Darren and Trau, Matt (2018)A SERS microfluidic platform for targeting multiple soluble immune checkpoints. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 126 178-186. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2018.10.044
  16. Reza, K. Kamil, Dey, Shuvashis, Wuethrich, Alain, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Korbie, Darren, Wang, Yuling and Trau, Matt (2018)Parallel profiling of cancer cells and proteins using a graphene oxide functionalized ac-EHD SERS immunoassay. Nanoscale, 10 39: 18482-18491. doi:10.1039/c8nr02886a
  17. Wuethrich, Alain, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Ahmed, Mostak, Lin, Ting-Yun, Carrascosa, Laura G. and Trau, Matt (2018)Interfacial nano-mixing in a miniaturised platform enables signal enhancement and in situ detection of cancer biomarkers. Nanoscale, 10 23: 10884-10890. doi:10.1039/C7NR09496E
  18. Ibn Sina, Abu Ali, Foster, Matthew Thomas, Korbie, Darren, Carrascosa, Laura G., Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A., Gao, Jing, Dey, Shuvashis and Trau, Matt (2017)A multiplex microplatform for the detection of multiple DNA methylation events using gold-DNA affinity. Analyst, 142 19: 3573-3578. doi:10.1039/c7an00611j
  19. Ahmed, Mostak, Carrascosa, Laura G., Ibn Sina, Abu Ali, Zarate, Ester Marina, Korbie, Darren, Ru, Ke-lin, Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A., Mainwaring, Paul and Trau, Matt (2017)Detection of aberrant protein phosphorylation in cancer using direct gold-protein affinity interactions. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 91 8-14. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2016.12.012
  20. Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Vaidyanathan, Ramanathan, Dey, Shuvashis, Carrascosa, Laura G., Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A. and Trau, Matt(2016)Real time and label free profiling of clinically relevant exosomes. Scientific Reports, 6 30460: 1-9. doi:10.1038/srep30460
  21. Yadav, Sharda, Carrascosa, Laura G., Sina, Abu A. I., Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A., Hill, Michelle M. and Trau, Matt (2016)Electrochemical detection of protein glycosylation using lectin and protein-gold affinity interactions. Analyst, 141 8: 2356-2361. doi:10.1039/c6an00528d
  22. Koo, Kevin M., Sina, Abu A. I., Carrascosa, Laura G., Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A. and Trau, Matt (2015)DNA-bare gold affinity interactions: mechanism and applications in biosensing. Analytical Methods, 7 17: 1-13. doi:10.1039/c5ay01479d
  23. Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Al-Rafia, S. M. Ibrahim, Ahmad, Md. Faruak, Paul, Ratan Kumar, Islam, S. M. Saiful, Younus, Muhammad, Raithby, Paul R., Ho, Cheuk-Lam, Lo, Yih Hsing, Liu, Li, Li, Hua and Wong, Wai-Yeung (2015)Synthesis, structures and properties of novel platinum(II) acetylide complexes and polymers with tri(tolyl)phosphine as the auxiliary ligand. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, 25 3: 427-436. doi:10.1007/s10904-014-0071-7
  24. Koo, Kevin M., Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Carrascosa, Laura G., Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A. and Trau, Matt (2014)eMethylsorb: rapid quantification of DNA methylation in cancer cells on screen-printed gold electrodes. Analyst, 13923: 6178-6184. doi:10.1039/c4an01641f
  25. Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Howell, Sidney, Carrascosa, Laura G., Rauf, Sakandar, Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A . and Trau, Matt (2014)eMethylsorb: electrochemical quantification of DNA methylation at CpG resolution using DNA-gold affinity interactions. Chemical Communications, 50 86: 13153-13156. doi:10.1039/C4CC06732K
  26. Carrascosa, Laura G., Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Palanisamy, Ramkumar, Sepulveda, Borja, Otte, Marinus A., Rauf, Sakandar, Shiddiky, Muhamad J. A. and Trau, Matt (2014)Molecular inversion probe-based SPR biosensing for specific, label-free and real-time detection of regional DNA methylation. Chemical Communications, 50 27: 3585-3588. doi:10.1039/C3CC49607D
  27. Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, G. Carrascosa, Laura, Palanisamy, Ramkumar, Rauf, Sakandar, Shiddiky, Muhammad J. A. and Trau, Matt (2014)Methylsorb: a simple method for quantifying DNA methylation using DNA-gold affinity interactions. Analytical Chemistry, 86 20: 10179-10185. doi:10.1021/ac502214z
  28. Shiddiky, Muhammad J, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Carracosa, Laura G, Palanisamy, Ramkumar, Rauf, Sakandar and Trau, Matt (2014).Methylsorb: A Simple Method for Quantifying DNA Methylation Using DNA-gold Affinity Interactions. In: ICECE 2014, 8th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering. 8th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dhaka, Bangladesh, (17-20). 20-22 December 2014. doi:10.1109/ICECE.2014.7027002