Winnie Ye, BEng/00, PhD/07
Winnie Ye, BEng/00, PhD/07
As a mentor in Carleton’s Women in Science and Engineering chapter, and a graduate of the university, Professor Ye helps foster interest in engineering and innovation among young women. She wants more students to experience Carleton’s unique engineering programs and supportive learning environment.
“Carleton is a leader in engineering teaching and research,” she says. “I want other women to know how accessible engineering is—and that it can help them to change the world.”
Build Technology to Spotlight Diseases That Are Lurking In the Atmosphere
Among the infectious diseases that challenge public health officials are naturally occurring outbreaks of avian influenza, hospital-acquired infections, and drug-resistant tuberculosis. Add the menace of deadly bio-agents—such as anthrax released by a lunatic or terrorist through the mail or the accidental escape of smallpox from a medical school—and the need for rapid detection and control becomes evident.
Enter Winnie Ye, BEng/00, PhD/07. She is the Canada Research Chair in nano-scale integrated-circuit design for reliable opto-electronics and sensors.
With funding from the federal and Ontario governments, she is developing a sensor for bio-agents in the atmosphere. Ye’s nano-sized receptors are designed to provide real-time detection using emerging plasmonic technology, which bridges the gap between photonics and electronics.
When the protein or DNA molecule of a particular disease comes into contact with the sensor’s metal nanostructure, its electromagnetic response produces an optical signature. With an array of receptors—each ready to detect a particular signature—the sensor can detect even tiny concentrations of bio-agents. Once an agent is detected, on-chip wireless transmitters can warn authorities of the location, type, and severity of the contamination.
Ye’s compact sensor is solar-powered and low-maintenance, so it can be used in settings from hospitals and bio-labs to airports and train stations. Its low cost and self-sustaining features make it suitable for developing countries and remote or humanitarian operations.