https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/4341 2026-09-30T08:32:52Z https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/60873 Title: SAFE: a Mix-and-Read Assay for miRNA Detection in Extracellular Vesicles From Unprocessed Plasma Toward Clinical Disease Diagnosis Author(s): Jena, Subhra Sulipta; Kim, Soo Jin; Jang, Hyeonha; Chi, Lianhua; Eom, Yunji; Doh, Kyung-Oh; Lee, JaeJong; Park, Jun Seok; Lee, Junyeop; Hong, Seonki Abstract: Rapid and accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is essential for timely intervention, yet current workflows often rely on hospital-based instrumentation that can delay decision-making. We present SAFE (Sonication-Assisted liposome Fusion with Extracellular vesicles (EVs)), a rapid, direct-from-plasma assay that quantifies microRNAs (miRNAs) encapsulated within EVs in approximately 10 min, providing a molecular signature of myocardial injury. SAFE delivers molecular beacons (MBs) into endogenous EVs through liposome fusion, eliminating the need for EV isolation and RNA extraction while minimizing interference from plasma proteins by confining hybridization within the EV lumen. Brief sonication accelerates fusion kinetics, shortening the assay time to 10 min. In a pilot clinical evaluation involving patients with CVD (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 15), SAFE detected elevated levels of two cardiac-associated miRNAs (miR-133a and miR-208a), achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 91.4% for each. These findings position SAFE as a rapid and minimally processed platform for the direct quantification of EV-associated miRNAs, well suited for time-critical CVD triage and ready for implementation studies across diverse clinical environments. 2026-06-30T15:00:00Z https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/60860 Title: Beyond Molecular Determinism: State-Convergent Polymerization as a Functional Design Principle Under Chemical Complexity Author(s): Hong, Seonki Abstract: Polymeric materials are traditionally designed by prescribing molecular structures and reaction pathways. However, many functional polymers-exemplified by natural melanins and synthetic polydopamine-operate reproducibly despite persistent molecular heterogeneity and ill-defined architectures. Here, I propose state-convergent polymerization (SCP) as a design logic for polymeric materials formed under chemical complexity, in which polymerization is defined by convergence toward a functional material state rather than a discrete molecular structure. In SCP, polymer formation emerges from dynamically evolving pools of reactive motifs confined within environmentally bounded chemical state spaces. Crucially, these state spaces are chemically addressable through experimentally accessible variables such as pH, redox conditions, oxygen availability, and interfacial confinement, enabling multiple reaction trajectories to coexist while enforcing functional convergence. By decoupling polymer function from molecular determinism, SCP provides a materials design framework for materials operating under chemical complexity, including biointerfaces, adaptive coatings, and open-system polymerization processes. This perspective reframes polymer synthesis from structure prescription toward state engineering, offering actionable principles for designing robust functional materials beyond molecular precision. 2026-06-30T15:00:00Z https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/60506 Title: Interfacial Assembly of Microgels: From Granular Hydrogels to Programmable Materials Author(s): Hong, Seonki Abstract: Hydrogels assembled from microgels offer a modular alternative to conventional bulk polymer networks, enabling tunable structure and function through bottom-up design. Despite rapid progress in granular hydrogels, particle-particle interfaces are often treated primarily as means of stabilization rather than as programmable design elements. In this perspective, microgel interfaces are proposed as a central design space that governs the assembly, mechanics, and biological function of granular hydrogels. By reframing microgel assemblies through the lens of interfacial engineering, this highlights how control over interfacial interactions can be leveraged to design complex, multicomponent, and hierarchically organized materials. This perspective is intended to inspire new directions toward adaptive microgel-based systems with enhanced functionality. 2026-06-30T15:00:00Z https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/60041 Title: Polymerization-Assisted Signal Enhancement and Visual Readout Techniques in Bioassays: A Mini Review Author(s): Son, Nayoung; Sulipta, Jena Subhra; Hong, Seonki Abstract: Polymerization-based strategies have emerged as powerful tools for enhancing sensitivity and enabling user-friendly visual outputs in bioassays. Unlike conventional assays that rely on catalyst- or enzyme-mediated accumulation of molecular products for signal amplification, polymerization reactions produce material-level, macroscopic, or supramolecular structures-such as hydrogels, polymer films, or insoluble precipitates. This mini review highlights recent advances in polymerization-assisted signal amplification techniques, with a particular focus on detection strategies and polymerization chemistries. We first classify detection approaches according to their readout mechanisms, including direct visual detection and integration with electronic or optical transducers. We then examine representative polymerization reactions employed in bioassays, including enzyme-mediated hydrogelation, nucleic acid polymerization, conductive polymer formation, and controlled radical polymerization. Both enzyme-dependent and enzyme-free systems are discussed, reflecting the growing versatility of polymerization-based platforms for biosensor development. 2025-11-30T15:00:00Z