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The researchers claim that this material can be manufactured cheaply and could make it easier and faster to detect diseases in patients.
A new miniscule material could be used to detect diseases much faster by trapping biomolecules, according to a research team at Dublin City University (DCU).
The researchers claim their new structures are made from silica – also known as silicon dioxide – which is the main ingredient used in most forms of glass. The material created by the DCU team is only one thousandth the size of a single human hair, but has a very large surface area relative to its volume.
The team said the physical properties of these ultra-small structures make them good at trapping and detecting very small quantities of biomolecules that are related to various diseases. The DCU team published their research in the journal Applied Materials Today.
The team’s leader – Prof Enda McGlynn – said they have found a way to create these tiny structures using a “simple, inexpensive new manufacturing technique” that doesn’t require costly or complex equipment.
“This breakthrough in the field of nanotechnology – the study of the world that is too small to be visible to the naked eye – opens the door for the development of low-cost biomedical sensing devices that are capable of far earlier disease detection,” McGlynn said.
McGlynn said this research has various applications, as the material could be used in local GP surgeries instead of hospital environments. He also said it could be “especially important” for cases where a quick diagnosis and start of treatment can make a huge difference – “especially for the vulnerable or the elderly”.
“The new devices that can diagnose diseases that are now possible thanks to our work, could be used in community locations, such as GP surgeries,” McGlynn said. “This will prevent the need for samples to be sent to the lab and produce quicker results and faster access to treatment.”
Earlier this year, a team of researchers at DCU claimed they discovered a way to produce gold nanoparticles in a safer and more cost-effective way, which could make a form of cancer diagnosis more financially viable.
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