10073901Verification of successful functionalisation of low cost test strips with biological moleculesClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKTo develop next generation sensors which allow low cost and easy to use diagnostic products to be realised, it is necessary to understand the surface properties of the sensor strips in high detail. This is because it is necessary to attach biological molecules to the sensor surface in order to detect a target in a sample. For example, enzymes, antibodies and DNA molecules can be attached to the sensor strip in order to detect biomarkers from a clinical samples. At present, the development of biosensors on thin film gold and carbon test strips is hindered by our ability to successfully attach biological molecules to the surface. Furthermore, ensuring the surface is clean and ready to accept the biological molecules is a second challenge which underpins this research effort. This project will focus on developing the fundamental understanding of the low cost sensor surfaces through measuring their roughness and composition and then investigating methods to clean the surfaces which are compatible with high volume manufacturing and finally examine chemical methods for attaching biological molecules to the sensor surface. At the end off the project, the company will have gained a lot of knowledge in the areas of sensor cleaning and biomolecule attachment which it can apply to the new diagnostic products which it intends to create.