News

Benjamin Miller Named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Monday, December 12, 2022

Benjamin Miller, a pioneer in developing compact chips and biosensors for disease detection and personalized medicine, has been selected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The academy is recognizing Miller and the other inductees for “a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.”

Miller, the Dean’s Professor of Dermatology, joined the Rochester faculty in 1996. He also holds appointments in biomedical engineering, biochemistry and biophysics, optics, and materials science. His lab focuses on two fundamental research areas: the control of biomolecular interactions through the synthesis of new small-molecule probes, and the observation of biomolecular interactions through the development of novel optical sensing technologies. The applications include the production of compact, inexpensive biosensors that could replace current floor-standing clinical diagnostic systems with small, cell phone-sized devices.

Miller’s name appears on 30 issued US and international patents and 23 patents pending. They cover more than 20 novel detectors, biosensors, chips, and probe arrays. His previous honors include being named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2019) and a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2020), as well as receiving the Rochester Business Journal Health Care Achievement Award (2009) and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2001–2006).

Previous University of Rochester NAI fellows are Duncan Moore and David Williams (2021), Jannick Rolland (2020), Jim Zavislan (2018), Wayne Knox (2017), and Kevin Parker (2016).

Rochester leads development of novel integrated photonic COVID-19 sensor

Thursday, March 31, 2022

A consortium of nine industry, government, and academic partners, led by the University of Rochester, will develop the first integrated photonic sensors capable of detecting not only COVID-19 and its variants, but also other emerging viruses. The technology could even predict the severity of these and other infections.

“In two years, we want to have an advanced prototype that is ready for a company to fully commercialize,” says project director Benjamin Miller, a Dean’s Professor of Dermatology at Rochester with joint appointments in biomedical engineering, biochemistry and biophysics, optics, and materials science. “We want to have all the data ready to go so a company can pick this up and run with it.”

A drop of blood, serum, or saliva will be collected on an inexpensive, disposable integrated photonic chip that can then be inserted into a portable reader, producing results in one minute. The system could be used in doctors’ offices and rural or inner-city clinics.