{"id":977,"date":"2026-03-29T21:57:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/?p=977"},"modified":"2026-03-29T21:57:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:57:50","slug":"karthikas-phd-defence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/?p=977","title":{"rendered":"Karthika&#8217;s PhD defence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 18 September 2024 at 11.30 Karthika presented the results of her thesis entitled &#8220;<strong>ITO microelectrodes and microelectrode arrays for the analysis of cell cultures and biomedical applications<\/strong>&#8221; and answered questions from the three referees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>prof. \u0141ukasz G\u00f3rski, Warsaw University of Technology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>prof. Jacek Ryl, Gda\u0144sk University of Technology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>prof. Ewa Nazaruk, Warsaw University<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Karthika became the first person to be formed under the Sensor Arrays group!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5-1024x575.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5-1024x575.png 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5-1536x862.png 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5-850x477.png 850w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-5.png 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Karthika&#8217;s science journey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Karthika comes from Kannur, Kerala, India. Emilia and Karthika immediately found a common language as neither knew what would be the most interesting thing to study, and they decided to discover it through internships in different types of laboratories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her work focused on two topics: making electrode arrays that could be used in 3D cell cultures and synthesising mediators that would enable the detection of cell metabolites at lower overpotentials. She tried to fabricate electrode arrays through photolithography and later switched to a laser plotter. She developed a set of methods that allow the fabrication of very small (~25 um) features through direct writing on ITO or larger structures, but with the surrounding ITO layer removed using laser-cut tape stencils and etching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1042\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003-850x1133.jpg 850w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20210527-WA0003.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">ITO microband electrodes made with a laser plotter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20211201_100445-850x638.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">50 shades of Prussian Blue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also worked on osmium polymers that, together with glucose oxidase, could be used for glucose sensing in cell cultures, just like in the prick tests in glucometers. However, they were not stable enough for long-term sensing. Next, she focused on Prussian blue and its analogues that could be more stable and, similarly to osmium complexes, enable glucose detection at a low overpotential with a lower impact from interfering species.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1046\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114735-850x478.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Karthika during PhD defence presentation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1047\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_114748-850x478.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Karthika during PhD defence presentation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1045\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7500074014862185;width:355px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-850x1133.jpg 850w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20240918_143612-1-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr Karthika Kappalakandy Valapil with her thesis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This post could go on and on, describing the struggles (especially with the residence card and visa to Canada) and the successes, how you will always be Miss Marysia&#8217;s &#8216;laleczka&#8217;, e-SPARK filming, the trip to Switzerland and research with Prof. Girault&#8217;s group at EPFL, and many more.<br>We will miss you greatly, and we all hope to meet again, whether for collaboration or a party.<br><strong>All the best on your journey, and thank you for starting your independent research with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005-1024x458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005-1024x458.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005-300x134.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005-768x344.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005-1536x687.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005-850x380.jpg 850w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG-20220930-WA0005.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hip hip hoooray for Karthika (party at GDCh conference)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"646\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-1024x646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1048\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5851949189662724;width:277px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-1024x646.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-1536x968.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-2048x1291.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0685-1c-850x536.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilia, Karthika and Martin after the defence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1049\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20241209_105253-850x478.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Karthika receiving her PhD diploma during the open part of the Scientific Council<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 18 September 2024 at 11.30 Karthika presented the results of her thesis entitled &#8220;ITO microelectrodes and microelectrode arrays for the analysis of cell cultures and biomedical applications&#8221; and answered questions from the three referees: Karthika became the first person to be formed under the Sensor Arrays group! Karthika comes from Kannur, Kerala, India. Emilia&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,3],"tags":[4,40,41,5],"class_list":["post-977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defence","category-general-news","tag-congratulations","tag-karthika-kappalakandy-valapil","tag-phd-defence","tag-success"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=977"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1050,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977\/revisions\/1050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensorarrays.com.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}