MS Thesis in Collaboration with BugSense

Masters Thesis: Creating Control Fields for a Point-of-Care Infection Test

07.04.2026, Diplomarbeiten, Bachelor- und Masterarbeiten

The objective of this master’s thesis is to design, implement, and validate robust control fields for a paper-based point-of-care (PoC) infection test. These control fields aim to differentiate Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, assisting in species identification of bacterial urinary tract infections.

The student must ensure test reliability, interpretability, and clinical relevance by enabling internal validation of sample flow, reagent activity, and environmental stability. The work focuses on translating laboratory-grade controls into a scalable, user-independent PoC format suitable for real-world diagnostic settings.

This project can run from 6 - 12 months.

Requirements:
- Proven previous laboratory experience, microbiology experience preferred.
- An applied, industry-aware mindset, balancing scientific rigor with manufacturability and usability.
- Practical expertise in image analysis, quantitative readout extraction, and time-resolved data evaluation.
- Independent working style and willingness to learn.

Project Goals:
- Designing control fields that reliably indicate correct test function under varying biological and environmental conditions.
- Integrating controls into an existing paper-based diagnostic architecture without increasing user complexity.
- Quantitatively evaluate control performance using image-based readouts and time-series analysis.
- Establish design rules and validation criteria aligned with regulatory expectations for PoC diagnostics.
- Scientifically validate with the most common laboratory bacterial strains seen in Urinary Tract Infections.
- Perform clinical validation with real human urine samples.

BugSense
Heinz-Nixdorf-Chair for Biomedical Electronics
Einsteinstraße 25, 81675 Munich

Kontakt: seoras.russell@tum.de