Netz Arroyo-Curras, Ph.D.

Netzahualcoyotl Arroyo-Curras, Ph.D.

Headshot of Netz Arroyo-Curras
  • Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences

Research Interests

In-vivo biosensing, personalized drug therapy, molecular diagnostics ...read more

Background

Dr. Netz Arroyo pursues the development of wearable and implantable biosensors allowing the real-time monitoring of normal physiology and disease states in vivo. Dr. Arroyo’s research lab uses DNA as a molecular recognition tool, and integrates the DNA into electronic devices for biomedical sensing applications. Our most current research efforts are focused on translating DNA aptamer-based sensors to in-human clinical use.

Dr. Arroyo received his undergraduate degree in Chemical Sciences from Tec de Monterrey (Mexico). He earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin, under the mentorship of Allen J. Bard. He completed postdoctoral work with Kevin Plaxco in Bioengineering at the University of California Santa Barbara. Dr. Arroyo joined the Johns Hopkins Medicine faculty in 2019.

He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and the Electrochemical Society. His work was recognized by the journal ACS Sensors in 2020, naming Dr. Arroyo a Rising Star in Sensing.

Origin of his name: The name Netzahualcóyotl comes from Náhuatl and means “coyote who fasts.” It is the name of one of the most iconic characters of pre-Columbian Mexican history: ruler (tlatoani) of the city-state of Texcoco, philosopher, warrior, architect and poet. The name was given to Netz right at the moment of his birth, mainly promoted by his father (who was Mexican) yet immediately adopted by his mother too (who is Spanish). Netz believes that his name has played a fundamental role in shaping his personality and is proud of its historical roots. An anecdote he often tells about his early life recalls the time when he was in kindergarten and had to learn how to write his own name. While all the other kids with simple names were able to do it rather quickly, it took little Netz a greater effort to accomplish the task since he had all the difficult letters from the alphabet in his name (without considering the count!).

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Titles

  • Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences

Departments / Divisions

Education

Degrees

  • Ph.D.; University of Texas (Austin) (Texas) (2015)

Research & Publications

Lab

The ability to monitor arbitrary molecules in the body as we undergo our normal daily routines could empower us to make educated decisions regarding our diet, fitness, medical treatments and overall health status. Our laboratory pursues this vision by developing biology-inspired electrochemical sensors that enable real-time, continuous measurements of a wide range of physiologically-important molecules in vivo. Our research blends chemistry with engineering, biophysics and pharmacology to, for example, study factors involved in the recognition of small-molecule targets by nucleic acid- or peptide-based receptors, design and fabricate implantable biosensing devices, develop metabolism-responsive drug delivery approaches, and produce diagnostic platforms for personalized health care. We pursue these goals in an environment that nurtures creativity, inclusivity of ideas, and innovation.

Lab Website: Netz Lab

Technology Expertise Keywords

DNA Biophysics; Biosensors; Electrochemistry; Wearable Technologies; In-vivo Pharmacology

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

Shaver A, Kundu N, Young BE, Vieira PA, Sczepanski JT, Arroyo-Currás N. Nuclease Hydrolysis Does Not Drive the Rapid Signaling Decay of DNA Aptamer-Based Electrochemical Sensors in Biological Fluids. Langmuir. 2021 May 4;37(17):5213-5221. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00166. Epub 2021 Apr 20. PubMed PMID: 33876937; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8176561

Pellitero MA, Curtis SD, Arroyo-Currás N. Interrogation of Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Sensors via Peak-to-Peak Separation in Cyclic Voltammetry Improves the Temporal Stability and Batch-to-Batch Variability in Biological Fluids. ACS Sens. 2021 Mar 26;6(3):1199-1207. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.0c02455. Epub 2021 Feb 18. PubMed PMID: 33599479

Shaver A, Curtis SD, Arroyo-Currás N. Alkanethiol Monolayer End Groups Affect the Long-Term Operational Stability and Signaling of Electrochemical, Aptamer-Based Sensors in Biological Fluids. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020 Mar 4;12(9):11214-11223. doi: 10.1021/acsami.9b22385. Epub 2020 Feb 20. PubMed PMID: 32040915

Curtis SD, Ploense KL, Kurnik M, Ortega G, Parolo C, Kippin TE, Plaxco KW, Arroyo-Currás N. Open Source Software for the Real-Time Control, Processing, and Visualization of High-Volume Electrochemical Data. Anal Chem. 2019 Oct 1;91(19):12321-12328. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02553. Epub 2019 Sep 10. PubMed PMID: 31462040; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7336365

Arroyo-Currás N, Ortega G, Copp DA, Ploense KL, Plaxco ZA, Kippin TE, Hespanha JP, Plaxco KW. High-Precision Control of Plasma Drug Levels Using Feedback-Controlled Dosing. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci. 2018 Nov 9;1(2):110-118. doi: 10.1021/acsptsci.8b00033. eCollection 2018 Nov 9. PubMed PMID: 32219207; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7088981

Academic Affiliations & Courses

Courses and Syllabi

  • Primary Source Readings and Analysis (ME:330.708)
    Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
    2019

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • Ralph E. Powe Jr. Faculty Enhancement Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, 2019
  • Rising Star in Sensing, Journal ACS Sensors, 2020

Memberships

  • American Chemical Society, 2014

    ACS is one of the world's largest scientific societies and the premier home of chemistry professionals in the USA and abroad. 

  • The Electrochemical Society, 2018

    The Electrochemical Society is a learned society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of electrochemistry and solid-state science and related technology.

  • American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

    The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) is a scientific society founded in late 1908 by John Jacob Abel of Johns Hopkins University (also the founder of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), with the aim of promoting the growth of pharmacological research.

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