Researchers led by NTU Singapore have created tiny droplets that, when activated by laser light, can detect viral protein biomarkers indicating the presence of certain diseases.
These microdroplets, about one-third the diameter of a strand of human hair, could potentially travel in the bloodstream to reach all parts of the human body and detect particles shed by cells which function as disease biomarkers.
When a laser enters the droplet, its energy and light are amplified as the laser reflects and bounces inside the droplet repeatedly before exiting the droplet. This creates a stronger energy signal that is emitted from the droplet, leading to more accurate, precise and easily detectable signals.
The wavelength of the light reflected out of the microdroplet changes when a droplet encounters a protein that reacts with one of its attached antibodies - suggesting the presence of disease or infection.
By measuring the wavelength shift as it leaves the microdroplet, researchers led by Nanyang Assistant Professor Chen Yu-Cheng from NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering have used the technology in lab trials to successfully detect neurological disorders, genetic diseases and cancerous cells.
