The Locke Biosensing Lab is a part of the Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center. We aim to develop novel optical biosensing platforms to address current clinical diagnostic challenges at the point-of-care. We explore the use of various nanoplasmonic structures incorporated paper- or micro-fluidic platforms to create rapid diagnostic tools that are simplistic and user-friendly.
Research Focus Areas:
1) The design and synthesis of novel bioassays for sensing of bioanalytes within complex biological fluids
2) The development and application of various portable Biophotonics-based spectroscopic tools for point-of-care sensing: surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Fluorescence spectroscopy, colorimetry, etc.
3) The design of low-cost, fluidic platform: paperfluidic, microfluidics, 3D printing, microencapsulation
For more information, please email andrea.locke@vanderbilt.edu
We are thrilled to announce that Anna Rourke Funderburg has successfully defended her dissertation, “Rapid, Culture-Free Platform for Detecting Bacteria using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and its Application Toward Detection of Vaginal Microbes,” on July 25, 2025. Anna’s hard work and dedication have culminated in research that advances the use of Raman spectroscopy for bacterial detection while contributing to the development of new technologies that address critical challenges in field of women’s health. 
Please join us in celebrating this important milestone and congratulating Dr. Funderburg on her exceptional achievement.