Adrienne Garcia
University of New Mexico
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Mercedes Balcells-Camps
Research Supervisor: Daniel Torres Sune
Department: Biological Engineering
Biography
Adrienne Garcia is a chemical and biological engineering student at the University of
New Mexico. Seeing the challenges women face in accessing preventive and cancer care,
Adrienne aspires to pursue a PhD and lead translational research to improve access to and
the quality of cancer interventions and treatments. As an MSRP intern, Adrienne works in the
Edelman Lab under Dr. Mercedes Balcells-Camps, contributing to two different biomaterials
projects: creating bone bio-ink using salmon and biochip technology for diagnosing
depression. At her home institution’s King Lab, she studies protein-nucleic acid interactions.
Previously, she conducted research in the Francis Lab at the University of California,
Berkeley, focusing on drug-loading experiments. Adrienne’s commitment to improving the
world through research earned her the 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholarship in addition to being
recognized as Chemical and Biological Engineering’s Outstanding Sophomore of the year at
the University of New Mexico.
Biofunctionalization of Field-Effect Transistor (FET) Biosensors for
Diagnosing Depression
Adrienne Garcia1, Daniel Torres Suñé2, Dr. Mercedes Balcells-Camps2
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico
2Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major Depressive Disorder affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, yet its diagnosis
still relies largely on subjective clinical assessments and self-reporting rather than quantitative
measurements. The development of graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) based
biofunctionalized FET-biosensors would allow for real time detection of biomarkers related
to depression found in biological fluids and a quantifiable way to diagnose and monitor
depression. In this project, graphene-based biosensors were biofunctionalized through a
surface immobilized biorecognition elements specific to Interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory
protein and target biomarker related to depression. These biosensors were tested for their
ability to accurately detect concentrations of IL-6 in protein solutions, blood, tears, saliva
and urine against Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA). Additionally, MoS2
surfaces were evaluated for biofunctionalization potential with the promise of a cheaper, easier
manufacturing process in comparison to graphene.
