Berkeley Nanotechnology Lab University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley Nanotechnology Lab

We grow, pattern, and build carbon nanotubes, medical diagnostics, nanoscale fabrication, energy storage, and neurally driven wearable devices.

View research Meet the team

Nanotube field-emission thruster — electrons leave the tips, pass the gate stack, and stream into vacuum.

Illustrations — not to scale, not measured results.

01 / Research

Research

Led by Dr. Waqas Khalid, the lab works with carbon nanotubes and related nanomaterials.

02 / In the lab

Selected projects

Biosensor fabrication work in the lab: microfluidic chips and equipment on a workbench

Biosensing

Carbon-nanotube biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics

A miniaturized impedance-spectroscopy platform that pairs functionalized carbon nanotubes with integrated microfluidics. Current test targets include tacrolimus and creatinine, toward monitoring for kidney failure.

Explore the biosensing project 

Stylized EEG waveform traces in four colors

Human devices

Exoskeleton

A wearable device driven by brainwave signals: body sensors, computer vision, and machine learning work together to assist motion, aimed at rehabilitation for stroke survivors.

Explore the exoskeleton project 

A researcher working at the lab's electron-beam apparatus

Fabrication

Electron-beam lithography

Investigating carbon nanotubes as electron sources for lithography, with the aim of lowering the cost of nanoscale patterning.

Explore the lithography project 

03 / Methods

Methods

The techniques behind the lab’s biosensing work.

  • Fig. 01

    Functionalization

    Carbon nanotubes are functionalized with secondary amine groups, verified by fluorescence spectroscopy.

  • Fig. 02

    Characterization & testing

    Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is used to test sensor response to tacrolimus and creatinine.

  • Fig. 03

    Fabrication

    Microfluidic devices are designed in CAD and produced with photolithography and soft lithography.

  • Fig. 04

    Analysis

    Stress on carbon nanotubes is analyzed with COMSOL simulations.

04 / People

Our team

Portrait of Dr. Waqas Khalid

Dr. Waqas Khalid

Principal Investigator

Dr. Khalid leads the lab’s undergraduate and graduate researchers working on biosensing, fabrication, energy storage, and the exoskeleton.

waqask@berkeley.edu

Team Leads

  • Portrait of Ahmed Nagi

    Ahmed Nagi

    Aerospace Engineering

  • Portrait of Marco Huang

    Marco Huang

    Bioengineering

  • Portrait of Zain Syed

    Zain Syed

    ECE

  • Portrait of Hammaad Hassan

    Hammaad Hassan

    Material Science and Engineering

  • Portrait of Jamshaid Ali

    Jamshaid Ali

    Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Current members

  • Portrait of Logan Fleming

    Logan Fleming

    EECS

  • Portrait of Aidan Lacayo

    Aidan Lacayo

    Materials Science and Engineering

  • Mateen Mohammady

  • Eesha Sanjay

  • Iffat Thasina

View full team

05 / Publications

Selected publications

  • High-aspect-ratio, free-form patterning of carbon nanotube forests using micro-electro-discharge machining

    W. Khalid, M. S. M. Ali, M. Dahmardeh, Y. Choi, P. Yaghoobi, A. Nojeh, et al.

    Diamond and Related Materials, 19 (11), 1405–1410 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.diamond.2010.08.007

  • BMP10-mediated ALK1 signaling is continuously required for vascular development and maintenance

    T. L. Capasso, B. Li, H. J. Volek, W. Khalid, E. R. Rochon, A. Anbalagan, et al.

    Angiogenesis, 23, 203–220 (2020). doi:10.1007/s10456-019-09701-0

  • Parylene cantilevers integrated with polycrystalline silicon piezoresistors for surface stress sensing

    R. Katragadda, Z. Wang, W. Khalid, Y. Li, Y. Xu

    Applied Physics Letters, 91 (8) (2007). doi:10.1063/1.2772189

All publications and patents 

06 / Contact

Contact the lab

Interested in joining the lab or working with us? Get in touch.

Email the lab Email the principal investigator