Paper diagnostics: Printed biosensors with paper enzymes
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Abstract
Most serious diseases in England are detected through emergency admission to hospital [1]. Early diagnosis could significantly improve the chances of successful treatment while reducing healthcare costs [2]. The use of paper as a sensing platform has great potential for enabling large population exploratory screening for early diagnosis in resource-limited settings (e.g. home health monitoring), in terms of achieving low-cost, equipment-free, and easy to manufacture diagnostic devices. Paper biosensors can incorporate microfluidics and be completely fabricated via printing processes. However, some challenges related to the degradation of the protein reagent's activity during the manufacturing process and lack of stability of the protein-paper interface remain to make them available on the healthcare system [3,4].
This PhD aims to open the bottle neck in the manufacturing of paper diagnostic devices. The fusion of a cellulose-binding peptide into the protein of interest using synthetic biology and the formulation of a cellulose-based protein ink to be inkjet-printed are proposed to overcome protein stability and paper compatibility. A printed paper biosensor targeted to an analyte of interest will be designed to demonstrate the proposed diagnostics platform.
Optimising diagnosis and treatment is one of the five UK societal challenges to achieve a healthy nation. Integrated in the EPSRC Healthcare Technologies theme, this research can be included in the Clinical Technologies research area, which comprises nearly 20% of the total funding in Healthcare.
[1] "Routes to Diagnosis. NCIN Data Briefing," 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncin.org.uk/publicati ons/data_briefings/routes_to_diagnosis. [Accessed 21 August 2017].
[2] Cancer Research UK, "Saving Lives, Averting Costs. An Analysis of the Financial Implications of Achieving Earlier Diagnosis for Colorectal, Lung and Ovarian Cancer," 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/saving_lives_averting_costs.pdf. [Accessed 5 September 2017].
[3] S. Ahmed, M.-P. N. Bui and A. Abbas, "Paper-based Chemical and Biological Sensors: Engineering Aspects," Biosensors and Bioelectronics, vol. 77, pp. 249-263, 2016.
[4] B. Derby, "Inkjet Printing of Functional and Structural Materials: Fluid Property Requirements, Feature Stability, and Resolution," Annual Review of Materials Research, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 395-414, 2010.
This PhD aims to open the bottle neck in the manufacturing of paper diagnostic devices. The fusion of a cellulose-binding peptide into the protein of interest using synthetic biology and the formulation of a cellulose-based protein ink to be inkjet-printed are proposed to overcome protein stability and paper compatibility. A printed paper biosensor targeted to an analyte of interest will be designed to demonstrate the proposed diagnostics platform.
Optimising diagnosis and treatment is one of the five UK societal challenges to achieve a healthy nation. Integrated in the EPSRC Healthcare Technologies theme, this research can be included in the Clinical Technologies research area, which comprises nearly 20% of the total funding in Healthcare.
[1] "Routes to Diagnosis. NCIN Data Briefing," 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncin.org.uk/publicati ons/data_briefings/routes_to_diagnosis. [Accessed 21 August 2017].
[2] Cancer Research UK, "Saving Lives, Averting Costs. An Analysis of the Financial Implications of Achieving Earlier Diagnosis for Colorectal, Lung and Ovarian Cancer," 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/saving_lives_averting_costs.pdf. [Accessed 5 September 2017].
[3] S. Ahmed, M.-P. N. Bui and A. Abbas, "Paper-based Chemical and Biological Sensors: Engineering Aspects," Biosensors and Bioelectronics, vol. 77, pp. 249-263, 2016.
[4] B. Derby, "Inkjet Printing of Functional and Structural Materials: Fluid Property Requirements, Feature Stability, and Resolution," Annual Review of Materials Research, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 395-414, 2010.
