Monash Health and Monash University have received a $100,000 research grant from the Love Your Sister Foundation, through the Monash Health Foundation, to develop a graphene oxide (GO)-based biosensor for early cancer detection using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). The GO-ctDNA project is a large interdisciplinary collaboration spanning oncology, engineering, nanofabrication and structural biology across Monash Health, Monash University and national research facilities.
“This project represents a perfect convergence of engineering innovation and clinical need,” said Dr. Gwo Yaw Ho, Head of the Cancer Immunology Laboratory within the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University. “If successful, our GO-ctDNA biosensor could revolutionize early cancer diagnostics by offering a simple, non-invasive blood test that detects cancer mutations with unprecedented sensitivity, potentially even before symptoms appear.”
The GO-ctDNA team aims to create a portable, cost-effective biosensor capable of detecting minuscule traces of cancer-derived DNA circulating in blood and urine. The new GO-ctDNA biosensor will be designed to recognize specific cancer-linked mutations and emit a measurable fluorescent signal when these mutations are present.
To build the sensor, the team will engineer the surface of graphene oxide so that short strands of DNA can attach securely and light up when they detect cancer mutations. Using advanced synchrotron and nanofabrication technologies, they will fine-tune this surface and test how well it performs with real biological samples.
The long-term vision is to make cancer testing faster and more accessible by moving it beyond specialized laboratories. A portable version of this biosensor could one day allow clinicians in outpatient or regional settings to monitor treatment response and detect recurrence earlier, giving patients more timely and personalized care.
