Next-generation biosensors for real-time, enhanced sensitivity antigen detection

在生物体液的单分子水平上专门和选择性地测量生物标记物和跟踪分析物的能力，有可能改变对具有重要国防意义的特定危险材料的诊断、实时筛选、分析物监测。诸如使用纳米孔传感器和功能分子探针相结合的策略不仅在测序方面，而且在最近的筛查应用中也越来越突出。然而，在实现足够的分辨率以区分结合的和非结合的目标分析物方面，或者在检测到可能存在于生物体液中的非常低水平的关键分析物方面，仍然存在巨大的挑战。拟议的CDT项目通过提供一种对国防部的研究机构DSTL至关重要的新型生物传感器来解决上述限制。该平台结合了定制的分子探针和介电泳纳米孔传感器，能够在亚PM和FM浓度下近乎实时地选择性识别分析物。

The ability to measure biomarkers and trace analytes both specifically and selectively at the single-molecule level in biological fluids has the potential to transform the diagnosis, real-time screening, analyte seining for specific hazardous materials of high-profile defence interest. Strategies such as the use of nanopore sensors combined with functional molecular probes have been gaining in prominence not only for sequencing but more recently in screening applications. However, substantial challenges remain in achieving sufficient resolution to distinguish bound from unbound target analytes or in reaching detection of critical analytes that may be present at a very low level in biofluids. The proposed CDT project addresses the above limitations by delivering a new class of biosensors, of importance to the DstL, the research arm of the Ministry of Defence. The platform combines custom molecular probes and dielectrophoretic nanopore sensors, that are capable of selective analyte discrimination in near real-time at sub-pM and fM concentrations.