Sep 24 2010
Boston College scientists could identify that a clump of carbon nanotubes layered with protein-targeting molecules can act as biosensors by tracking even less quantities of proteins employing the electrochemical signaling phenomenon. This novel biosensor can be deployed as the latest methodology for tracing cancer and other dreadful diseases.
The paper released by Thomas Chiles and his team in Nature Nanotechnology explains about the effectiveness of this nanotube biosensor in identifying ferritin, a major protein that is responsible for the storage of iron in human beings and the E7 cancerous protein formed from human papillomavirus. For the sensor developers, the calmodulin analysis further revealed that the sensor is capable of distinguishing even the mutated proteins that have the potentiality to change its shapes.
The imprints of proteins will lower the denseness of the polymer shielding and due to this, these areas in the polymer will record lesser impedance compared to the remaining polymer coating upon interaction with the protein charges and an ionized salt solution. If a protein moiety interacts with the other of the same kind, it seals the gap in the insulator permitting the nanostructures to record a corresponding fluctuation in the impedance and thus identifies the protein.
This sort of combining can be monitored instantly and rapidly compared to other diagnostic analysis and the chemical markers are not necessary in such electrochemical monitoring processes.
Source: http://www.boston.ac.uk/Pages/home.aspx