Low Cost Nanowire Diagnostic Platform

The project is a collaboration between the University of Southampton, Sharp Laboratories Europe, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology and Aptamer Solutions. The project will develop a prototype device for the diagnosis and management of respiratory diseases, such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The device will measure the amounts of clinically relevant biomarkers in a drop of patient blood and enable faster assessment and more timely treatment. This will significantly reduce the risk that the patient needs to be hospitalised, thus greatly improving their quality of life. The approach used in our project is also applicable to other diseases, so in the longer term the technology has the potential to provide cheap home testing kits for a range of diseases. The project therefore aims to provide the technological means for a transition to a healthcare system in which regular screening for complex diseases enables prevention and early intervention.