UGA Sensing Working Group 

Mission Statement 

 The UGA Sensing Working Group brings together faculty members across the University of Georgia who are developing advanced technologies for chemical, biological, and environmental sensing and diagnostics. The group integrates expertise from physics, engineering, chemistry, infectious diseases, food safety, data science, and public health, creating a collaborative environment to address emerging challenges in health, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and biosecurity.

The activities of the working group are supported by the Franklin College Spark Hub initiative and the UGA College of Engineering, which together promote interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of new research directions at the intersection of sensing technologies, biotechnology, and data science.

In the near term, the primary goal of the working group is to build a strong interdisciplinary community at UGA focused on sensing and diagnostic technologies. The group provides a platform for faculty members to become familiar with each other’s research, exchange ideas, and identify opportunities for collaboration. Through regular meetings, seminars, and brainstorming discussions, the working group aims to initiate research collaborations and develop competitive multi-investigator proposals for external funding.

The group connects researchers working across several complementary areas, including:

• Sensor development and advanced materials

• Sensor characterization and biomolecular interactions

• Data science, artificial intelligence, and sensing databases

• Applications in infectious diseases, food safety, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and public health

In the longer term, the working group aims to foster larger interdisciplinary initiatives that integrate chip-based sensing technologies, microfluidic diagnostic platforms, and data-driven sensing networks capable of supporting advanced diagnostics, real-time monitoring, and regional or global disease surveillance systems.

By strengthening collaboration across disciplines, the UGA Sensing Working Group seeks to create a vibrant research community that accelerates innovation in sensing technologies and lays the groundwork for future interdisciplinary centers, major collaborative programs, and partnerships with government, healthcare, and industry.