Every year, readers of The Analytical Scientist and an anonymous panel of judges select influential scientists who have made a difference. Dr. Frances Ligler was chosen as one of the top 20 Instrumental Innovators for 2024.
“I am very honored to have received this award on two separate occasions,” Ligler said. “No matter what type of science or engineering I have done, it all involves analytics — measuring stuff.”
Ligler has published extensively on microfluidics, tissue-on-chip systems, regenerative medicine, biochemistry, immunology and analytical chemistry. Notably, Ligler is also a leader in the optical biosensor industry and was crucial in creating sensors to detect botulinum toxin and anthrax during Operation Desert Storm.
While she has consistently kept her focus on biological research and bioengineering, Ligler emphasizes the value of multidisciplinary research in innovation.
“The greatest inventions emerge from the cracks between the disciplines,” she said. “Knowing what your predecessors have accomplished across your field and others can spark a better appreciation of capability gaps and generate new uses for analytical devices employing seemingly unrelated technologies.”
Due to her contributions to optical biosensors, Ligler was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2017. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow in the International Society for Optics and Photonics, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Association of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors.