Korean researchers have developed a graphene-based field-effect transistor-based biosensor that detects SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs from patients with COVID-19, in less than one minute.

Currently, most diagnostic tests for COVID-19 rely on a technique called real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which amplifies SARS-CoV-2 RNA from patient swabs so that tiny amounts of the virus can be detected. However, the method takes at least 3 hours, including a step to prepare the viral RNA for analysis. Edmond Changkyun Park, Seung Il Kim and colleagues wanted to develop a faster diagnostic test that could analyze patient samples directly from a tube of buffer containing the swabs, without any sample preparation steps.

BioMed X has announced the completion of its first research collaboration project with Roche Diagnostics in the field of nanomaterial-based biosensors for near patient testing. BioMed X successfully achieved the proof of principle for a new sensor platform allowing the analysis of several different parameters from blood samples with one single device.

The project was initiated in 2015 as a call for application using BioMed X’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform for project proposals. As a result of an international innovation challenge, a team of early-career researchers from five different countries worked in Germany on the design of a field effect transistor-based multimodal sensing platform for proteins, blood gases and electrolytes, metabolites and enzymes with a single-use disposable material for point-of-care diagnostics.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with Aixtron developed a new method to grow high-quality wafer-scale (300 mm) graphene sheets. This process may enable the integration of graphene with Silicon CMOS and pave the way towards graphene-based electronics.

The method is based on CVD growth on polycrystalline copper film coated silicon substrates. They report that their graphene has better charge carrier transport characteristics compared to previously synthesized poly- or single-crystalline wafers. The graphene has few defects and covers over 96% of the 300-mm wafer substrate.

In July 2014, Graphene Frontier launched the "six sensors" brand for highly-sensitive chemical and biological GFET-based sensors following a financing round of $1.6 million. Graphene Frontiers announced a partnership with the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) to develop next generation graphene-based processes, technologies, and techniques.

Graphene Frontiers G-FET sensor

As part of the partnership, Graphene Frontiers and the CNSE will build a 300 mm fabrication process and wafer-transfer facility. The total investment in this project will reach $5 million over 3 years (and will be funded by the CNSE and Graphene Frontiers) and the project will employ 27 employees.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania demonstrated a graphene-based mutli-modal bio-sensor that can transmit transducing protein binding events into optical, electrical, and mechanical signals.

Such a multi-modal sensor means that you can inspect a single sample and obtain information from the three properties (optical, electrical and mechanical). This could lead to a sensor that outperforms single-mode sensors even if each signal detection by itself is not the best one. The researchers say that their sensor achieves a 100-times improvement in the sensing dynamic range over current single-mode sensors.

Two weeks ago, Graphene Frontier announced that they raised $1.6 million, which will be used to expand operations and accelerate the development of their proprietary GFET sensors and manufacturing process. Graphene Frontiers launched the "six sensors" brand for highly-sensitive chemical and biological GFET-based sensors that can be used to diagnose diseases with multiple markers such as cancers and illnesses currently diagnosed using ELISA technologies.

I asked the company to explain a little more on this interesting new sensor platform. It turns out that the sensor is based on a functionalized graphene field effect transistor (GFET). The unique properties of graphene enable detection of molecules in femtomolar (fM) concentrations - this is vastly better than any other sensor on the market.

Graphene Frontier, spun off from the University of Pennsylvania, is producing graphene using their own Atmospheric Pressure CVD (APCVD) technology, a roll-to-roll process that does not require a vacuum. We now hear that the company raised $1.6 million in Series Seed B funding.

The round was led by Trimaran Capital Partners with participation from R2M Investments and return backers WEMBA 36 Angels. Graphene Frontiers will use the money to hire additional researchers, expand the lab facilities and accelerate the development of their proprietary GFET sensors and manufacturing process.

Researchers from Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology developed a new dry process to transfer CVD-grown graphene. Avoiding any wet chemistry step means that you can place the graphene on water sensitive substrates. The researchers explain that this method may create better performing graphene as they contain fewer defects and charged impurities.

The process starts by coating the graphene with polymeric bilayers made of polybutadiene (PBU) and PMMA. The catalytic metal beneath the graphene are removed and the polymers and graphene are together placed on a sample holder. This is moved onto the target substrate and then nitrogen gas is used to break the edges of the graphene/polymer structure, which is then laminated onto the target substrate.

Researchers from Nankai University developed a single-cell sensor (optical refractive index sensor) based on graphene field-effect transistors. This new sensor is able to detect a single cancer cell.

The researchers managed to obtain such ultrahigh sensitivity by controlling the thickness of high-temperature reduced graphene oxide. The resolution obtained is the highest values reported for refractive index sensors."

Researchers from the University of California and Rice University developed a new rapid method to synthesize high quality large-area Bernal (AB) stacked bilayer graphene sheets.

During the same research, the first bi-layer graphene double-gate field-effect transistor (G-FET) was also demonstrated. This G-FET features the best on/off switching ratio and carrier mobility.