About
Dan Gariek is a second year at The University of California Santa Barbara. Under the mentorship of Dr. Sumita Pennathur, his research focuses on the development of a novel solid-state reference electrode for electrochemical biosensing, optimizing sensing performance through the use of accessible, low-cost materials and fabrication methods. By integrating a potassium chloride-embedded polymer membrane with a silver/silver chloride electrode core, the design achieves stable, Nernstian electrochemical behavior suitable for continuous monitoring applications. The long term goal is to enable accurate, real time biomarker detection in urine, providing a practical and scalable platform for chronic kidney disease screening and management.