The Institute of Laser for Postgraduate Studies / University of Baghdad discussed the Ph.D. thesis submitted by Ms. Rajaa Hamel Mutlag, entitled:
“Induced Fluorescence for Detection of Breast Cancer by Laser”
Under the supervision of: Assist. Prof. Dr. Zainab Fadhil Mahdi / Institute of Laser – University of Baghdad
and Prof. Dr. Hazem Ismail/ Center for Biotechnology Research – Al-Nahrain University
The researcher presented a photonics-biological system based on laser-induced fluorescence technology, integrated with microfluidic mixing, for detecting and distinguishing breast cancer-related changes in lymphocytes isolated from blood.
To enhance the optical response, the microfluidic system was modified by incorporating a thin deposited layer of gold and hematite nanoparticles. The gold-coated surface contributed to plasmonic fluorescence enhancement, while the hematite nanoparticles improved spectral contrast through surface-assisted interaction with the dye.
In addition, the Acridine Orange / Rhodamine system with varying dye concentration ratios was used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and to support more reliable discrimination between low and high levels of DNA damage.
The diagnostic performance of the proposed system was also evaluated using a DNA Damage Index, which provided a quantitative indicator of DNA fragmentation. A value greater than 0.4 was identified as a critical threshold associated with malignant cases. The optical results were statistically compared with a number of selected biological parameters.
The thesis was approved after fulfilling all requirements for obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Laser Applications.
