Sra. Erica de la Serna Botello

Institutions of which it is part

I am Erica de la Serna Botello and I finished my studies as a Laboratory Technician in 2007, when I specialized in clinical diagnostic. I have worked in centralized diagnostic laboratories for 8 years, where I rotated between different areas that include haematology, blood bank, biochemistry, microbiology, emergency laboratory and pre-analytical department, always working in environments of typical quality control systems such as the ISO 15189. I joined the Diagnostic Nanotools Group (DINA) at Vall d’Hebron Hospital Research Institute in June 2015. We are dedicated to the development, optimization and validation of fast and simplified immunoassays, and electrochemical immunosensors as diagnostic tools for the detection of different biomarkers. One of the last assays developed was a simplified ELISA for the detection of malaria which results in only 1 hour. Droplite Technologies, a biotech startup, are interested in our immunoassays and we opened a collaboration. Thanks to our experience in immunoassays and Droplite’s experience in developing microfluidics platforms we are creating a miniaturized ELISA for rapid malaria detection. We are also currently working on the replacement of erythrocytes that are used for haemagglutination and haemagglutination inhibition assays for the control and surveillance of the influenza virus, by synthetic spheres that simulate red blood cells by chemically conjugating different receptors that Influenza virus be able to recognize. We are in a product scale up stage where we have a collaboration with Biosystems, a biotech company to carry out this part. .

Curriculum

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Droplite Technologies (Barcelona) July 2020 – March 2021 (part-time)

- Development and optimization of immunoassays on microfluidic chips for integration into the POC platform developed by droplite.
- Optimization of the process of conjugation of antibodies to gold nanoparticles.

RESEARCH LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (Barcelona), July 2015 – present
Research Group Diagnostic Nanotools for Fast Assay and Biosensor Development (DINA)

- Development, optimization and validation of rapid immunoassays using different detection methods such as spectrophotometry, fluorescence and chemiluminescence.
- Development, optimization and validation of electrochemical biosensors.
- Chemical conjugation of antibodies to biotin or electroactive molecules such as methylene blue, anthraquinone, ferrocenes, etc.
- Chemical modification of surfaces of different materials such as carbon and gold.
- Replacement of erythrocytes used for haemagglutination and haemagglutination inhibition assays for influenza virus control and surveillance by synthetic spheres
- Laboratory supervision.
- Orders management.
- Training of students.

LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Dexeus, May 2015 - July 2015 - Department of Obstetric Ultrasound.

- Attention to patients (healthcare and personal) guiding them on the tests to be carried out, visiting hours, waiting time, etc.
- Blood extraction.
- Maintenance of equipment (ultrasound and electrocardiographs).
- Orders management.

CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Municipal Hospital of Badalona, June 2007 - April 2015

- Experience in the pre-analytical, hematology, blood bank, biochemistry, microbiology and emergency departments.
- Laboratory maintenance and order management.
- Preparation of SOPs.

ACADEMIC TRAINING

- COURSE OF BIOINFORMATICS FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Vall d'Hebron Hospital, 2016 · 20 hours. Theoretical-practical training.

- APPLIED MICROSCOPY COURSE: OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL LIQUIDS
I.E.S La Bonanova, 2014 · 4 hours. Theoretical-practical training.

- INTRODUCTION COURSE TO THE RED HEMATOLOGICAL SERIES, DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES IN THE HEMOGLOBINOPATHIES
Vall d'Hebron Hospital, 2013 · 16 hours. Theoretical-practical training

- EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL HANDLING COURSE (CATEGORY B)
I.E.S La Bonanova, 2012 - 2012 · 60 hours. Theoretical-practical training

- COURSE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TECHNIQUES IN CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS
I.E.S La Bonanova, 2010 - 2011

- CERTIFICATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION (HNC) IN CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY
I.E.S Les Vinyes, 2005 – 2007

PUBLICATIONS

- A Sánchez-Cano, G Ruiz-Vega, S Vicente-Gómez, E de la Serna, E. Sulleiro, I Molina, A Sánchez-Montalvá, E Baldrich (2021) Development of a fast chemiluminescent magneto-immunoassay for sensitive Plasmodium falciparum detection in whole blood. Anal Chem, Manuscript Status: Accept

- E. de la Serna, K Arias-Alpízar, LN Borgheti-Cardoso, A Sanchez-Cano, E Sulleiro, F Zarzuela, P Bosch-Nicolau, F Salvador, I Molina, M Ramírez, X Fernàndez-Busquets, A Sánchez-Montalvá, E Baldrich (2021) Detection of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in one hour using a simplified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anal Chim Acta, 1152, 338254

- O. Alonso, N. Franch, J. Canals, K. Arias-Alpízar, E. de la Serna, E. Baldrich, A. Diéguez (2020) An internet of things-based intensity and time-re¬solved fluorescence reader for point-of-care testing. Biosens Bioelectron, 154, 112074

- G Ruiz-Vega, K Arias-Alpízar, E. la Serna, LN Borgheti-Cardoso, E Sulleiro, I Molina, X Fernàndez-Busquets, A Sánchez-Montalvá, F.J del Campo, E Baldrich (2020) Electrochemical POC device for fast malaria quantitative diagnosis in whole blood by using magnetic beads, poly-HRP and microfluidic paper electrodes. Biosens Bioelectron, 150, 111925

- G Ruiz-Vega, A Lopez-Marzo, E. de la Serna, A Sanchez-Cano, E Baldrich (2019). Capítulo 6 en Immunosensors. MU Ahmed, M Zourob and E Tamiya. (Eds.). Royal Society of Chemistry. In press.

- E. de la Serna, E Martínez-García, T García-Berrocoso, A Penalba, A Gil-Moreno, E Colas, J Montaner, E Baldrich (2018) Using polyHRP to produce simplified immunoassays and electrochemical immunosensors. Application to MMP-9 detection in plasma and uterine aspirates. Sens Act B, 269, 377-384.

- M Ben-Ismail, E. de la Serna, G Ruiz-Vega, T García-Berrocoso, J Montaner, M Zourob, A Othmane, E Baldrich (2018) Using magnetic beads and signal amplifiers to produce short and simple immunoassays: Application to MMP-9 detection in plasma Samples. Anal Chim Acta, 999, 144-154.

- Z Herrasti, E. de la Serna, G Ruiz-Vega, E Baldrich (2016) Developing enhanced magneto-immunosensors based on low-cost screen-printed electrode devices. Reviews in Analytical Chemistry, 35: 53–85. Guest review article.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES

- O. Alonso, N. Franch, J. Canals, K. Arias-Alpízar, E de la Serna, E. Baldrich, A. Diéguez. An internet of things-based intensity and time-resolved fluorescence reader for point-of-care testing: application to malaria diagnosis. Oral presentation (BIOS2020_0846). 30th Anniversary World Congress on Biosensors 2020. 26-29 May 2020, Busan, Korea.

- Gisela Ruiz Vega, Erica de la Serna, Adrián Sánchez Montalvá, Elena Sulleiro, Israel Molina, Joan Montaner, F. Javier del Campo, Eva Baldrich (2019) Using magnetic beads and paper microfluidic systems for the development of fast point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices. Poster ganador del primer premio de las jornadas del VHIR (Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca). 2-13 de diciembre de 2019, Barcelona.

- Gisela Ruiz-Vega, Kevin Arias-Alpízar, Erica de la Serna, Livia Neves Borgheti-Cardoso, Elena Sulleiro, Israel Molina, Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets, Adrián Sánchez-Montalvá, F. Javier del Campo, Eva Baldrich. Electrochemical quantitation of malaria infection from whole blood in <20 min by using magnetic beads, poly-HRP and microfluidic paper electrodes. Oral presentation. Euroanalysis 2019.

- Alonso, N Franch, J Canals, E de la Serna, G Ruiz-Vega, E Baldrich, A Diéguez. Development of an IoT-based point-of-care: an application to malaria testing. Oral Presentation (Abstract BITE2019_0258). 6th International Conference on Bio-Sensing Technology 2019. 16-19 June 2019, Kuala Lumpur, Malasia.

MERITS
- Concession of a 3-year contract (2017-2019) of the “Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation in Health (PERIS)” of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

LANGUAGES

- ENGLISH: Intermediate level
- CATALAN: Level C
- SPANISH: Level C

COMPUTING

- INFORMATICS AND BIOINFORMATICS
NBCI, ensembl, BLAST, Rstudio, ImageJ, photoshop

- OFFICE PACK & PLUGINS
Reference manager 13 Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

- INTERNET
Chrome & Google tools, Firefox, Edge, Netscape.

OTHERS
- Immediate incorporation.
- Full time.
- Willingness to work with the public.
- Driving licenses A2 and B.
Erica de la Serna Botello

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