After completing his master's degree in China, Lingyin Meng joined the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM) at Linköping University (LiU) as a PhD student in applied physics, focusing on biosensor technology. During his PhD studies, his interests grew from chemistry and biology to a broader combination of materials science, electrochemistry, electronics and biosensors.
He received his PhD in 2020 and continued at the Sensor and actuator systems division, first as a principal research engineer and later as a postdoctoral researcher. Now, he is taking on a new role as assistant professor. “LiU has become both my academic home and the place where I have built my research career.”, Lingyin Meng says.
A fascination with new materials
Meng's interest in research began during his master's studies, when he became interested in developing new materials that could improve blood glucose testing for people with diabetes. “Research gives me the opportunity to continuously learn, explore new ideas, and develop technologies that may have a real impact on society, which is what motivates me most.”, he says.
Today, his research focuses on functional materials and how they can be used to build practical sensing systems. His work brings together materials science, analytical chemistry and biosensor technology, with applications in both healthcare and environmental monitoring. The idea is to develop sensors that can detect important chemical or biological signals quickly and accurately. Some of the systems he works on are designed to monitor health through sweat or wounds. Others are being developed to detect harmful bacteria in drinking water.
Meng is also interested in materials that could make sensors more sustainable. Biomass-based materials, for example, are being explored as alternatives for future sensing technologies.
A new role focused on drinking water and sustainable sensors
As assistant professor, Meng will work with senior assistant professor Mats Eriksson on drinking water monitoring. The project combines biosensing elements with optical readout systems to detect potential contaminants. At the same time, his new position gives him the opportunity to develop his own research on sustainable sensing technologies. This includes papertronics as well as flexible and wearable sensors for healthcare applications.
For Meng, the research environment at IFM is an important part of this work. “The Sensor and actuator systems division at IFM is an internationally recognised research group in chemical sensors and biosensors. At the same time, IFM provides an excellent interdisciplinary environment where experts in materials science, electronics, chemistry, biology and medicine work closely together.”, he adds.
Working across disciplines
In the coming years, Meng wants to take these ideas further and develop sensors that can move from the laboratory into real-world applications. Earlier disease detection, safer drinking water and more sustainable analytical devices are among the areas he hopes his research can contribute to.
Collaboration will be an important part of that work. Planned projects include collaboration with the Flow Cytometry Unit at LiU Core Facilities and with researchers developing new fluorescent probes and fluorophores. He also hopes to strengthen connections beyond academia, including with hospitals, international research groups and organisations working with drinking water. Water utilities such as Tekniska verken could, for example, provide valuable connections to real-world challenges in water monitoring. “Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential because modern sensing technologies require expertise from many different fields.”, Meng says.
For Meng, this new position brings together several of the areas that have shaped his research since he first arrived at LiU: new materials, sensing technology and collaboration across disciplines; with the goal to develop sensors that can eventually be useful in everyday healthcare and environmental monitoring.
