Filip Boskovic

Cavendish Laboratory

Filip is a PhD student at the Cavendish Laboratory in the KeyserLab. He is devoted to nanoscale biology, where he studies how fundamental understanding of biophysics can benefit society and be applied to innovative solutions. By combining knowledge of physical sciences, he tries to develop new methods for biology and medicine. Recently, he co-invited and published two studies that aim to identify, quantify, and characterize native RNAs that advanced pathogen diagnostics, analysis of gene expression, and even more sustainable materials for nucleic acid self-assembly. His postgraduate studies were funded by a George and Lilian Schiff Foundation Studentship (University of Cambridge), Benefactors' Scholarship (St Johns College), and the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability Ph.D. Scholarship.

The diagnosis of infectious diseases plays a vital role in determining appropriate patient treatment. Infectious diseases are the major cause of death globally. Many pathogens induce comparable symptoms and cannot be differentiated clinically, making the identification of appropriate treatment challenging. Here, I introduce an innovative approach that relies on structuring RNA with DNA strands, and their subsequent readout with nanopores.