Continuous biomarker monitoring with single molecule resolution by measuring free particle motion
Publication in Nature Communications for TU/e researchers in the field of Molecular Biosensing.
Being able to precisely monitor concentrations of biomolecules - important for following diseases and adjusting treatments - requires not only highly specific and sensitive sensors, but also that measurements can take place continuously, over long periods of time.
A team of researchers in the Molecular Biosensing Group, led by Professor Menno Prins, has developed a sensor described in a paper they recently published in the journal Nature Communications. The sensor contains particles that move freely over a surface and occasionally come to a temporary halt as a result of single-molecular bonds. From the dynamic changes, the timeline of the concentration of biomolecules in the liquid can be derived.
The research contributes to the development of sensors for monitoring applications in basic research, research on organs on a chip, methods for monitoring patients in Intensive Care, and methods for monitoring industrial processes, bioreactors and ecological systems.