Daniel M. Jenkins
Associate Professor
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering (MBBE)
- University of Hawaii-Manoa
- 1955 East-West Road, Ag. Science #218
- Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
- Office: 415L Agricultural Science
- Telephone: (808) 956-6069
- Lab: (808) 956-9917
- FAX: (808) 956-3542
- Email: danielje@hawaii.edu
Areas of Interest
- Biosensors and instrumentation
Education
- Ph. D. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, 2001.
- M. Eng. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1996.
- B.S. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1995.
Research Interests
I am interested interactions at the molecular level which can be used to induce an electrically measurable signal. The resulting mechanisms can be used to build sensors for the measurement of many important molecules. Primary factors limiting the application of many biosensor technologies today are the expense, complexity, size, and the lack of sensitivity, linearity, specificity, stability, and speed. I am interested in innovating molecular techniques, engineering design, and electrical sensing technologies to improve any or all of these characteristics. Ongoing projects include research into optical and manometric transduction mechanisms sensitive to dissolved gases for use in a number of bioprocess applications, as well as the development of electrochemical sensors for various metabolites and to detect hybridization of DNA from select bacterial pathogens. We are also conducting some applied research into bioprocessing methods to derive energy and valuable products from various biological waste materials.
Our work has broad reaching implications, but is especially focused on providing technologies to help maintaining a safe and secure supply of food and other agricultural products, and to improve the efficiency of biological production in Hawaii and throughout the world.
Instructor For:
- BE 150 (Introduction to Biological Engineering)
- BE 350/350L (Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems)
- BE 420 (Sensors and Instrumentation for Biological Systems)
- BE/MBBE 625 (Biosensors: Principles and Applications)
Activities and Memberships:
- Licensed Professional Engineer (PE), Mechanical Engineering, Hawaii (2007-Present)
- American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (1998-Present)
- American Chemical Society (2005-Present)
- American Phytopathology Society (2007-Present)
- Undergraduate Advisor, Bioengineering program, UH Manoa, (2003-Present)
- Director, Bioengineering (undergraduate) program, UH Manoa, (2005-Present)
- Graduate Faculty, Bioengineering, UH Manoa, (2002-Present)
- Graduate Faculty, Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, UH Manoa, (2002-Present)
- Graduate Faculty, Nutritional Sciences, UH Manoa, (2002-Present)
- Faculty Ambassador Program, Olomana School; Island School; Kapolei HS; Kapaa Middle School (2003-Present)
Awards
- Runner up, Most Outstanding Engineering Dissertation at UC Davis, 2000/2001.
- Select paper award: Manometric sensors for on-line measurement of glucose, lactose, and dissolved gases. 2001 ASAE International Meeting, Sacramento, CA.
- Select paper award: Surface limitations for gas transport through a silicone film. 2004 ASAE International Meeting, Ottawa, Canada.
Publications
Reprints available upon request:
- Jenkins, D. M., C. Zhu, and W. Su. 2007. A simple hybrid circuit for direct determination of fluorescence lifetimes. Biological Engineering. (In Press)
- Fares, A., H. Hamdhani, and D. M. Jenkins. 2007. Temperature Dependent Scaled Frequency to Improve the Accuracy of Multisensor Capacitance Probes. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 71(3):894-900.
- Jenkins, D. M., B. Chami, M. Kreuzer, G. Presting, A. Alvarez, and B. Y. Liaw. 2006. Hybridization probe for femtomolar quantification of selected nucleic acid sequences on a disposable electrode. Analytical Chemistry. 78(7):2314-2318.
- Jenkins, D. M. 2004. Desorption as a rate limiting step for gas permeation through a polymer membrane. Journal of Physical Chemistry (B). 108(50):19325-19329.
- Jenkins, D. M. & D. A. Jenkins. 2003. Digital detector array for the study of non-specifically tagged bees and wasps. Biosystems Engineering. 86(3):295-303.
- Jenkins, D. M. & M. J. Delwiche. 2003. An immersible manometric sensor for measurement of humidity and enzyme mediated changes in dissolved gas. Biosensors & Bioelectronics. 18(9):1085-1093.
- Jenkins, D. M. & M. J. Delwiche. 2003. Adaptation of a manometric biosensor to measure glucose and lactose. Biosensors & Bioelectronics. 18(1):101-107.
- Jenkins, D. M., M. J. Delwiche, E. J. DePeters, & R. H. BonDurant. 2002. Factors affecting the application of on-line milk urea sensing. Transactions of the ASAE. 45(5):1687-1695.
- Jenkins, D. M., M. J. Delwiche & R. W. Claycomb. 2002. Electrically controlled sampler for milk component sensors. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 18(3):373-378.
- Jenkins, D. M. & M. J. Delwiche. 2002. Manometric biosensor for on-line measurement of milk urea. Biosensors & Bioelectronics. 17(6-7):557-563.
- Jenkins, D. M. 2001. Manometric sensor to measure urea in milk for improvement of dairy cow nutritional management. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Davis. (Available on CD upon request)
- Jenkins, D. M., M. J. Delwiche, E. J. DePeters, & R. H. BonDurant. 2000. Refinement of the pressure assay for milk urea nitrogen. Journal of Dairy Science. 83(9):2042-2048.
- Jenkins, D. M., M. J. Delwiche, E. J. DePeters, & R. H. BonDurant. 1999. Chemical assay of urea for automated sensing in milk. Journal of Dairy Science. 82(9):1999-2004.
Patents
- A simple, rapid, and inexpensive circuit for direct measurement of luminescent lifetimes (disclosure, October 2006).
- Sensor for analyzing components of fluids. US Patent No. 6,287,851, September 2001.
- Disposable electrode for detection of selected nucleic acid sequences. Disclosed September 2005.
Graduate Students
- Kwesi Kutin is an MBBE student investigating nitrate reductase pathways in remediating bacteria. He is also screening for biological interactions with pathogenic bacteria and adapting these to facilitate cell lysis and gene based detection.
- Ryo Kubota is an MBBE student working on sample processing and isothermal amplification techniques to improve the sensitivity, selectivity, and practicality of field DNA detection.
- Kimo is a BE graduate student who is working on developing molecular technologies for highly sensitive gene based detection, and coupling these to disposable sensors for direct readout.
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