Kirsti Raiko | PhD
I am a university teacher in Molecular biotechnology and Diagnostics at the Department of Life Technologies. My expertise lies in development of ultrasensitive immunoassays for disease diagnostics by utilization of upconverting nanoparticles, uniquely luminescent and highly detectable inorganic crystals, as immunoassay labels. I have experience in developing both central laboratory- and point-of-care applications for various diseases. Currently I am a PI in a research project funded by Sakari Alhopuro Foundation, where we aim to develop a novel diagnostic method for Lyme disease, focusing on detection of Borrelia burgdorferi directly in patient samples, instead of the serological response. The aim is to develop a system with which the infection could be detected earlier, and also recurrent infections could be detected, which is not possible with the current serological methods.
My research interests include:
- Novel luminescence-based immunoassay technologies
- Development of simple but ultra-sensitive point-of-care systems
- Lyme disease antigen diagnostics