What is your area of research, and why are you passionate about it?
Since high school, I’ve been fascinated by how DNA and RNA can store all the information needed for life using just four building blocks. That beauty and simplicity inspired me to work with nucleic acids and learn how to program them to do specific jobs. Today, I use DNA and RNA to create diagnostic and therapeutic tools that can help people.
What impact do you hope to have through your work?
I develop synthetic DNA-based sensors that can detect important molecules, from environmental pollutants like PFAS to heart-failure biomarkers. My goal is to make testing as simple and accessible as a glucose meter or a COVID test, so people and industries can make faster, safer decisions. This can help save lives and prevent contamination before serious damage occurs.
Community engagement and involvement in research is important to you. Why?
I strongly believe that research should solve real-world problems that matter to people, industry, and government. By listening to the community, I design technologies that meet real needs, such as sensors for bushfire smoke taint in wine, PFAS pollution, and heart health. I want my research to reach end-users and make a real difference outside the lab.
How did you feel when you heard you had received the LIMS Innovation Fellowship?
I felt incredibly excited and grateful. It was exactly the opportunity I hoped for, especially knowing that LIMS’ priorities align so closely with my own. The Fellowship gave me confidence that my research can grow and deliver real impact.
How will the LIMS Innovation Fellowship help you to further your research and achieve the impact you hope to make through your work?
The Fellowship will help me turn my sensing technologies into affordable, portable tools that can be used by people and industry. It allows me to develop rapid tests based on aptamers—synthetic antibodies—that make diagnostics simpler and more accessible. This support helps move my research from the lab into real-world use.
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Dr Elena Eremeeva is a nucleic acid biochemist and our inaugural LIMS Innovation Fellow. She specialises in synthetic nucleic acids, aptamer technologies, and biosensing applications, and focuses on developing high-performance aptamer-based solutions for precision diagnostics, therapeutic monitoring, and food and environmental safety.
