Hossam Haick

Highly multi-disciplinary in nature, LNBD research combines knowledge from diverse fields, among them microelectronics, nanotechnology, microfluidics, machine learning, biochemistry, medicine and genetics. Borrowing from these different disciplines, the laboratory develops novel solid-state and flexible devices/sensors, as well as electronic sensory nanoarrays for application in various areas.

Healthcare diagnosis, consumer electronics, robotics, sports and fitness, environmental monitoring and other fields all stand to benefit from work at the LNBD. The lab’s comprehensive approach comprises materials and device development, system integration, testing in lab and clinical/technological environments, practical application (disease diagnosis), widespread screening of high-risk factors and exploitation of project results/hardware. Moreover LNBD group promotes basic science studies in the field of chemical and material engineering as well as cell biology and cell-to-cell communication.

NANOMATERIAL-BASED DEVICES

The LNBD develops and employs different nanomaterials, such as metal nanoparticles, poly aromatic hydrocarbons, silicon nanowires and carbon nanotubes, in a variety of electronic devices. Control over the size, shape, structure and morphology of such nanospecies enables the design of complex sensing functions that can address practical requirements from sensing platforms. In addition, both fabrication using bottom-up wet chemistry approaches, and the utilization of organic material coatings are simple. This enables the use of nanomaterials for different applications. The LNBD focuses on the following applications:

Nanomaterial-based sensors: R&D for use in artificially intelligent nanoarray and electronic skin applications.

Self-healing sensors: development of electronic sensors with engineered structures that enable self-repair and full functionality following mechanically destructive damage.

Printed electronics:  development of new printing and self-assembly techniques that enable the optimal implementation of nanomaterials in electronic devices.

Volatile Biomarkers

The LNBD group conducts studies in different aspects of volatile biomarkers, focusing on breath and skin samples. Exhaled breath and skin headspace can be obtained non-invasively, are suitable for high compliance, and provide a matrix of relatively low complexity. In this effort, the lab is developing and characterizing artificially intelligent arrays of solid-state and flexible sensors for the detection and classification of various diseases in a non-invasive, fast and inexpensive manner, with low energy consumption. In addition to conducting R&D on sensing devices, lab researchers examine the developed devices via actual clinical trials on diverse diseases, malignant, neurodegenerative or infectious. These trials involve human volunteers together with in-vitro and in-vivo studies using different cell lines and animal models. In parallel, the lab assesses theoretical pathways and transport of different VOCs/chemicals from the internal, toward the external, side of the body.

LNBD research concentrates on applying nanomaterial-based devices to real-world needs. Primarily, this takes the form of noninvasive sensors that detect diseases and provide inanimate objects with tactile sensation. These efforts are realized through two main fields of research, nanomaterial-based devices and volatolomics. Often, these areas merge in clinical studies conducted by the LNBD together with hospitals and research institutes worldwide, and at international consortia.

Konvalina, G.; Leshansky, A.; Haick, H. Printing Nanostructures with a Propelled Anti-Pinning Ink Droplet. Adv. Funct. Mater. 25, 2411–2419 (2015).

Segev-Bar, M.; Konvalina, G.; Haick, H. High Resolution Unpixelated Electronic Skin Strip with Anti-Parallel Thickness Gradients of Nanoparticles. Adv. Mater. 27(10), 1779-1784 (2015).

Shehada, N.; Brönstrup, G.; Funka, K.; Christiansen, S.; Leja, M.; Haick, H. Ultrasensitive Silicon Nanowire for Real-World Gas Sensing: 2 Noninvasive Diagnosis of Cancer from Breath Volatolome. Nano Lett. 15(2), 1288–1295 (2015)

Amal, H.; Shi, D. –Y.; Ionescu, R.; Zhang, W. Hua, Q. –L.; Pan, Y. –Y.; Tao, L.; Tao, L.; Liu, H.; Haick, H. Assessment of Ovarian Cancer Conditions from Exhaled Breath. Int. J. Cancer 136, E614–E622 (2015).

Nakhleh, M.; Broza, Y. Y. Haick, H. Monolayer-Capped Gold Nanoparticles for Disease Detection from Breath. Nanomedicine (Future Medicine) 9, 1991–2002 (2014).

Davies, M. P. A.; Barash, O.; Jeries, R.; Peled, N.; Ilouze, M.; Hyde, R.; Marcus, M. W.; Field, J. K.; Haick, H. Unique volatolomic signatures of TP53 and KRAS in lung cells. Br. J. Cancer 111, 1213–1221 (2014).

Nakhleh, M. K.; Amal, H.; Awad, H.; Gharra, A.; Abu-Saleh, N.; Jeries, R.; Haick, H.; Abassi, Z. Sensor Arrays Based on Nanoparticles for Early Detection of Kidney Injury by Breath Samples. Nanomedicine (New York, NY, US) 10, 1767–1776 (2014).

Nakhleh, M. K.; Jeries, R.; Gharra, A.; Binder, A.; Broza, Y. Y.; Pascoe, M.; Dheda, K.; Haick, H. Detecting Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis with a Breath Test Using Nanomaterial-Based Sensors. Europ. Resp. J. 43, 1522 – 1525 (2014).

Broza, Y. Y.; Zuri, L.; Haick, H. Combined Volatolomics for Monitoring of Human Body Chemistry. Nature Sci. Rep. 4: (2014) (doi: 10.1038/srep04611)

Wang, B.; Cancilla, J. C.; Torrecilla, J.; Haick, H. Artificial Sensing Intelligence with Silicon Nanowires for Ultra-Selective Detection in the Gas Phase. Nano Lett. 14, 933-938 (2014).

Haick, H.*; Broza, Y. Y.; Mochalski, P.; Ruzsanyi, V.; Amann, A. Assessment, Origin, and Implementation of Breath Volatile Cancer Markers. Chem. Soc. Rev. 43, 1423-1449 (2014).

Konvalina, G; Haick, H. Sensors for Breath Testing: From Nanomaterials to Comprehensive Disease Detection. Acc. Chem. Res. 47, 66–76 (2014).

Segev-Bar, M.; Haick, H. Flexible Sensors Based on Nanoparticles. ACS Nano 7, 8366–8378 (2013).

Cohen-Kaminsky, S.; Nakhleh, M.; Perros, F.; Montani, D.; Girerd, B.; Garcia, G.; Simonneau, G.; Haick, H.; Humbert, M. A Proof of Concept for the Detection and Classification of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension through Breath Analysis with a Sensor-Array. Am. J. Resp. Crit. Care Med. 188, 156-759 (2013).

Peled, N.; Barash, O.; Tisch, U.; Ionescu, R.; Ilouze, M.; Mattei, M.; Bunn, P. A. Jr R., Hirsch, F. R.; Haick, H. Volatile Fingerprints of Cancer Specific Genetic Mutations. Nanomedicine (New York, NY, US) 9(6), 758-766 (2013).

Broza, Y.; Haick, H. Nanomaterial-based Sensors for Detection of Disease by Volatile Organic Compounds. Nanomedicine (London, UK) 8, 785-806 (2013) – An Invited Review.

Xu, Z. –Q.; Ionsecu, R.; Broza, Y.; Tisch, U.; Ding, L.; Liu, H.; Song, Q.; Pan, Y. –Y.; Xiong, F. -X.; Gu, K. –S.; Sun, G. –P.; Chen, Z. -D.; Leja, M.; Haick, H. The Breathprints of Gastric Cancer and Benign Gastric Conditions. Br. J. Cancer 108(4), 941-950 (2013).

Hakim, M.; Broza, Y. Y.; Barash, O.; Peled, N.; Phillips, M.; Amann, A.; Haick, H. Volatile Organic Compounds of Lung Cancer and Possible Biochemical Pathways. Chem. Rev. 112 (11), 5949–5966 (2012).

Peled, N.; Hakim, M.; Tisch, U.; Bunn, P. A. Jr. R.; Miller, Y. E.; Kennedy, T. C.; Mattei, J.; Mitchell, J. D.; Weyant, M. J.; Hirsch, F. R.; Haick, H. Non-invasive Breath Analysis of Pulmonary Nodules. J. Thorac. Oncol. 7(10), 1528-1533 (2012).

Assad, O.; Leshansky, A. M.; Stelzner, T.; Christiansen, S.; Haick, H. A Spray-Coating Route for Highly Aligned and Large-Scale Arrays of Silicon Nanowires. ACS NANO 6(6), 4702-4712 (2012).

Paska, Y.; Stelzner, T.; Tisch, U.; Assad, O.; Christiansen, S.; Haick, H. Molecular Gating of Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistors with Nonpolar Analytes. ACS NANO 6(1), 335-345 (2012).

Tisch, U.; Aluf, A.; Ionescu, R.; Nakhle, M.; Bassal, R.; Axelrod, N.; Robertman, D.; Tessler, Y.; Finberg, J. P. M.; Haick, H. Towards a Breath Test for Early Parkinson’s Disease: Carbon Nanotube Sensors for Detecting Asymptomatic Nigro-Striatal Dopaminergic Lesion in Rats. ACS Chem. Neurosci. 3(3), 161-166 (2012).

Barash, O.; Peled, N.; Bunn, P. A. Jr.; Hirsch, F. R.; Haick, H. Classification of lung cancer histology by gold nanoparticle sensors. Nanomedicine (New York, NY, US), 8(5), 580-589 (2012).

Marom, O.; Nakhoul, F.; Tisch, U.; Shiban, A.; Abassi, Z.; Haick, H. A Breath Test for Chronic Kidney Disease and Disease Progression. Nanomedicine (London, UK), 7(5), 639-650 (2012).

Zilberman, Y.; Ionescu, R.; Feng, X.; Müllen, K.; Haick, H. A Nano Array of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Carbon Nanotubes for Accurate and Predictive Detection in Real-World Environmental Humidity. ACS NANO 5(8), 6743–6753 (2011).

Paska, Y.; Stelzner, T.; Christiansen, S.; Haick, H. Enhanced Sensing of Nonpolar Volatile Organic Compounds by Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistors, ACS NANO 5(7), 5620-5626 (2011).

Hakim, M.; Billan, S.; Tisch, U.; Peng, G.; Dvorkind, I.; Marom, O.; Abdah-Bortnyak, R.; Kuten, A.; Haick, H. Diagnosis of Head&Neck Cancer from Exhaled Breath. Br. J. Cancer 104, 1649-1655 (2011).

Peng, G.; Hakim, M.; Broza, Y. Y.; Billan, S.; Abdah-Bortnyak, R.; Kuten, A.; Tisch, U.; Haick, H. Detection of Lung, Breast, Colorectal, and Prostate Cancers from Exhaled Breath using a Single Array of Nanosensors. British J. Cancer 103, 542 – 551 (2010).

Zilberman, Y.; Tisch, U.; Shuster, G.; Pisula, W.; Feng, X.; Müllen, K.; Haick, H. Carbon Nanotube/Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene Bilayers for Discrimination between Nonpolar Volatile Organic Compounds of Cancer and Humid Atmospheres. Adv. Mater. 22, 4317–4320 (2010).

Paska, Y.; Haick, H. Systematic Cross-Linking Changes within a Self-Assembled Monolayer in a Nanogap Junction: A Tool for Investigating the Intermolecular Electronic Coupling. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132(6), 1774-1775 (2010).

Peng, G.; Tisch, U.; Adams, U.; Hakim, M.; Shehada, N.; Broza, Y. Y.; Billan, S.; Abdah-Bortnyak, R.; Kuten, A.; Haick, H. Diagnosing Lung Cancer in Exhaled Breath Using Au Nanoparticles. Nature Nanotechnology 4, 669-673 (2009).

Bashouti, M. Y.; Tung, R. T.; Haick, H. Tuning Electrical Properties of Si Nanowire Field Effect Transistors by Molecular Engineering. Small 5(23), 2761-2769 (2009).

Barash, O.; Peled, N.; Hirsch, F. R.; Haick, H. Sniffing the Unique ”Odor Print” of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with Gold Nanoparticles. Small 5(22), 2618-2624 (2009).

Yaffe, O.; Scheres, L.; Puniredd, S. R.; Stein, N.; Biller, A.; Har-Lavan, R.; Shpaisman, H.; Zuilhof, H.; Haick, H.; Cahen, D.*; Vilan, A.* Molecular Electronics at Metal/Semiconductor Junctions. Si Inversion by Sub-Nanometer Molecular Films. Nano Lett. 9(6), 2390-2394 (2009).

Haick, H.; Hakim, M.; Patrascua, M.; Levenberg, C.; Shehada, N.; Nakhoul, F.; Abassi, Z. Sniffing Chronic Renal Failure in Rat Models via an Array of Random Network of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. ACS NANO, 3(5), 1258-1266 (2009).

Peng, G.; Tisch, U.; Haick, H. Detection of Nonpolar Molecules by Means of Carrier Scattering in Random Networks of Carbon Nanotubes: Towards Diagnosis of Diseases via Breath Samples. Nano Lett. 9(4), 1362-1368 (2009).

Dovgolevsky, E.; Tisch, U.; Haick, H. Chemically Sensitive Resistors Based on Monolayer-Capped Cubic Nanoparticles: Towards Configurable Nanoporous Sensors. Small 5(10), 1158-1161 (2009).

Assad, O.; Puniredd, S. R.; Stelzner, T.; Christiansen, S.; Haick, H. Stable Scaffolds for Reacting Si Nanowires with Further Organic Functionalities while Preserving Si-C Passivation of Surface Sites. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130(52), 17670-17671 (2008).

Peng, G.; Trock, E.; Haick, H. Detecting Simulated Patterns of Lung Cancer Biomarkers by Random Network of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Coated with Nonpolymeric Organic Materials. Nano Lett. 8(11), 3631-3635 (2008).

Puniredd, S. R.; Assad, O.; Haick, H. Highly Stable Organic Monolayers for Reacting Si with Further Functionalities: The Effect of C-C Bond nearby the Si Surface. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130(41), 13727-13734 (2008).

Dovgolevsky, E.; Haick, H. Direct Observation of the Transition Point between Quasi-Spherical and Cubic Nanoparticles in Two-Step Seed-Mediated Growth Method. Small 4(11), 2059-2066 (2008).

Puniredd, S. R.; Assad, O.; Haick, H. Highly Stable Organic Modification of Si (111) Surfaces: Towards Reacting Si with Further Functionalities while Preserving the Desirable Chemical Properties of Full Si-C atop Site Terminations. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130(29), 9184-9185 (2008).

Haick, H.*; Cahen, D. Making Contact: Connecting Molecules Electrically to the Macroscopic World. Prog. Surf. Sci. 83(4), 217-261 (2008).

Haick, H.; Cahen, D. Contacting Organic Molecules by Means of Soft Methods: Towards Molecule-Based Electronic Devices. Acc. Chem. Res. 41(3), 359-366 (2008).