Dr. Sophie Noel
Education and Experience
- B.S. Chemical Engineering; Michigan State University
- M.S. Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; minor in Biotechnology; North Carolina State University
- Ph.D. Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; North Carolina State University
- Industrial Scientist; Baebies, Inc.; Durham, NC
- Education Postdoctoral Scholar, Biotechnology, North Carolina State University
Research Areas
- Assay development
- Molecular biology
- Developmental biology
Techniques
- Spectrometry
- Plate-based assays
- Immunoassays
- Experimental design
- Data analysis
Background
In the past few years, assays (biological tests) have become more familiar to the average person through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic. Assays are the tools used by scientists and doctors to detect molecules of interest. Have you ever had a blood panel run? Those results came from multiple assays that were developed by researchers and performed by scientists.
How do scientists develop assays to detect these molecules of interest (perhaps, a novel disease)? And how do scientists confirm that these assays work the way that they should? Join Dr. Noel’s research team to develop a toolkit for researchers to use to more quickly develop and validate brand-new assays!
Students will work with Dr. Noel to choose a target molecule and develop an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Assay development will include designing experiments using statistical tools, performing experiments, optimizing assay performance, and data analysis. For more information on ELISAs and assay development, please view the following references (NCSU credentials may be required to view):
Roy, V., et. al. (2020). SARS-CoV-2-specific ELISA development. Journal of Immunological Methods, 484-485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jim.2020.112832
10 minute video on ELISA method: https://www.jove.com/v/5061/the-elisa-method
