Development of diagnostic nanotechnologies for precision medicine

Dr Wuethrich’s research focuses on the development of novel analytical and diagnostic tools that harness nanotechnology and microfluidics; two rapidly growing fields with high potential to provide diagnostic solutions needed for precision medicine. His research background lies in separation science, microfluidics, and biosensing. A feature of his work has been the ability to translate discoveries at the nanoscale into highly innovative diagnostics that enable the precise study of biomolecular aberrations in cancer, infectious diseases, and human immune system. Currently, his research focuses on the development of highly sensitive and multiplexed nanoplatforms to study the role extracellular vesicles heterogeneity in cancer, monitor cancer immune therapy, and detect aberrant protein phosphorylation and DNA methylation in different cancer types.

​Dr Wuethrich is an emerging research leader concurrently holding NHMRC Emerging Leadership and ARC DECRA. He completed his PhD at the University of Tasmania in 2016, after which he was awarded a Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship to join the Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine to research electrohydrodynamic fluid flows for electrochemical biosensing. In 2018, Dr Wuethrich was awarded a UQ Development Fellowship to lead a research program on the development of diagnostic nanoplatforms for precision medicine with a particular focus on cancer biomarker detection in liquid biopsies.

Collaborations

​Dr Wuethrich has established a network of national and international collaborators, working in partnership to explore the capabilities of our nanomaterial-based system to study cancer, infectious diseases, and immune overreactions. Collaborators include the Princess Alexandra Hospital, UQ Diamantina Institute, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, QIMR Berghofer, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Funding

2022-2024  Cancer Australia (Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme): nanoIMPAC: Monitoring immune toxicities and tumour immune evasion in lung cancer

2021-2023   ARC Discovery Project: Single molecule sensing on nanopillars: Reading complex molecular circuits

2020-2024   NHMRC Investigator Grant: A protein phosphorylation mapping tool for monitoring tyrosine kinase inhibition therapy in cancer patients

2020              ARC DECRA awardee (DE200100345)

2020              Hunter Cancer Research Alliance grant

2019              University of Queensland Early Career Research Grant

2018-2020    UQ Development Fellowship

2016-2018    Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship

Key Publications

1) Li, J.; Wuethrich, A*.; Sina, A. A. I.; Cheng, H.-H.; Wang, Y.; Behren, A.; Mainwaring, P. N.; Trau, M. A Digital Single-Molecule Nanopillar SERS Platform for Predicting and Monitoring Immune Toxicities in Immunotherapy. Nat. Commun. 2021, 12 (1), 1–12.

2) Wang, J.; Wuethrich, A.*; Sina, A. A. I.; Lane, R. E.; Lin, L. L.; Wang, Y.; Cebon, J.; Behren, A.; Trau, M. Tracking Extracellular Vesicle Phenotypic Changes Enables Treatment Monitoring in Melanoma. Sci. Adv. 2020, 6 (9), eaax3223.

3) Wang, J.; Kao, Y.; Zhou, Q.; Wuethrich*, A.; Stark, M. S.; Schaider, H.; Soyer, H. P.; Lin, L. L.; Trau, M. An Integrated Microfluidic-SERS Platform Enables Sensitive Phenotyping of Serum Extracellular Vesicles in Early Stage Melanomas. 2021, 2010296, 1–9.  Advanced Functional Materials (2022), 32, 3, 2010296.

4) Zhang, Z.; Wang, J.; Shanmugasundaram, K. B.; Yeo, B.; Möller, A.; Wuethrich, A.*; Lin, L. L.; Trau, M. Tracking Drug-Induced Epithelial--Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer by a Microfluidic Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Immunoassay. Small 2020, 16 (13), 1905614.Small, 16 (2020), 1905614.

5) Khondakar, K. R.; Dey, S.; Wuethrich, A*.; Sina, A. A. I.; Trau, M. Toward Personalized Cancer Treatment: From Diagnostics to Therapy Monitoring in Miniaturized Electrohydrodynamic Systems. Acc. Chem. Res. 2019, 52 (8), 2113–2123.

(*co-first or co-corresponding author)

Full list of publications available here.