Dr. Divagar Murugan is a researcher working at the intersection of nanomaterials, plasmonics, microfluidics, and biomedical engineering, with a strong focus on biosensor development and translational diagnostics. His research aims to convert advanced nanomaterial-based sensing concepts into robust, affordable point-of-care diagnostic systems.
He earned his Ph.D. in Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering from IIT Madras (2017-2022), where he developed plasmonic and fiber-optic biosensor platforms for rapid detection of infectious diseases including tuberculosis and COVID-19. His doctoral research resulted in patented technologies, high-impact peer-reviewed publications, and successful translation of a laboratory prototype into a commercial diagnostic product. He received several recognitions for this work, including the INSPIRE Fellowship, the Institute Research Award at IIT Madras, and the prestigious Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award. He completed his postdoctoral research (2022-2025) at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, where he worked on flexible plasmonic sensor platforms and nanomaterial–biointerfaces for diagnostic devices. In 2025, Dr. Divagar Murugan joined the Department of Biotechnology at BITS Pilani Dubai Campus as an Assistant Professor.
His current research focuses on exosome profiling, antibiotic detection, and AI and machine learning–driven biomarker discovery and validation. He is developing plasmonic sensing platforms, microfluidic architectures for multiplexed bioanalysis, and engineered material interfaces for enhanced sensitivity and specificity. His work also includes assay design and optimization for diverse molecular targets, with an emphasis on clinically relevant biomarkers and point-of-care deployment.
