Medicine

Modern cancer treatments have evolved beyond traditional chemotherapy to include targeted approaches such as immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and photothermal therapy. Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a promising material for both drug delivery and thermal-based tumor destruction. However, its clinical application remains limited due to challenges in dispersibility and large-scale production.

To overcome these limitations, Professor Eijiro Miyako and his research team from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) have developed a novel GO nanocomposite enhanced with bacterial components. The study highlights how bacterial properties improve GO's effectiveness in cancer therapy. Certain bacteria naturally stimulate immune responses and enhance dispersibility of GO due to their amphiphilic cellular components.

Researchers from Portugal's International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory and Italy's Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia have addressed the need for noninvasive, ultrasensitive alternatives to currently available glucose monitoring sensors used for continuous monitoring of diseases like Diabetes Mellitus and presented electrolyte-gated graphene field-effect transistors functionalized with glucose oxidase. The scientists developed an optimized fabrication process that integrates a 32-transistor matrix within a miniaturized 1000 μm² footprint, ensuring high device uniformity while enabling detection in 40 μL analyte volume. 

A comprehensive suite of techniques (including Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurements) reveals the stepwise evolution of graphene chemistry and surface properties leading to the controlled immobilization of glucose oxidase. The team's findings demonstrate p-type doping and tensile strain in the graphene channel across the nanomolar–millimolar glucose concentration range. The enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of glucose produces hydrogen peroxide in close proximity to the graphene channel, inducing a systematic shift in the Dirac point voltage toward more positive values. Under these conditions, the biosensor achieved an attomolar limit of detection and a sensitivity of 10.6 mV/decade, outperforming previously reported glucose sensors. 

AIXTRON has announced it has become a partner in the “GraFunkL” research project for the use of novel graphene-enhanced UVC LEDs, which, among other things, are to be used against multi-resistant hospital pathogens. 

GraFunkL stands for “Graphene as a functional layer in UVC LEDs”. Additional partners in the project are the Materials for Electrical Engineering department headed by Prof. Dr. Gerd Bacher (University of Duisburg-Essen, UDE), Aachen-based Protemics GmbH, which specializes in terahertz measurement technology, and Regensburg-based ams-OSRAM International GmbH, a pioneer in lighting and sensor technologies. The project will be funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with EUR 2.1 million over the next three years.

Researchers from the UK's University of Cambridge and China's Capital Medical University and Beihang University have developed a washable, skin-compatible smart garment sleep monitoring system that uses graphene sensors to capture local skin strain signals under weak device–skin coupling conditions without positioning or skin preparation requirements. 

The monitoring of sleep behavior begins by detecting subtle vibrations at the extrinsic laryngeal muscle, which are induced by physiological vibrations emanating from various anatomical locations such as the velum, oropharynx, tongue, and epiglottis. These vibrations are then captured by a six-channel strain sensor array printed onto the collar of a garment. The signals from the channel with the strongest response are processed by a deep learning neural network, SleepNet, which is designed for recognizing and analyzing sleep patterns. Image from PNAS

The comfortable, washable ‘smart pajamas' can monitor sleep disorders such as sleep apnea at home, without the need for sticky patches, cumbersome equipment or a visit to a specialist sleep clinic.

Researchers at Penn State and Hebei University of Technology recently developed stretchable thermoelectric porous graphene foam-based materials via facile laser scribing for self-powered decoupled strain and temperature sensing. The new sensor material enables precise and separate measurement of temperature and physical strain, a vital development for biosensors, for accurately tracking various health signals.

The team’s innovation is based on laser-induced graphene (LIG), created by using a laser to convert carbon-rich materials, such as plastic or wood, into graphene by heating their surfaces. This simple and scalable process is already used in a variety of applications, including gas sensors and electrochemical detectors. However, the scientists believe they have uncovered a new, critical property of LIG that makes it ideal for multi-signal sensing.

Researchers from Penn State recently developed a portable and wireless device to simultaneously detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and vitamin C, a critical nutrient that helps bolster infection resistance, by integrating commercial transistors with printed laser-induced graphene.  

By simultaneously detecting the virus and vitamin C levels, the test could help individuals and their health care providers decide on more effective treatment options, the researchers said. For example, someone with low vitamin C levels may benefit from a supplemental boost, while someone with normal or high vitamin C levels may need to consider other options.  

A research team, led by the University of Southampton and UWE Bristol, has developed graphene-based wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) that are sustainable and biodegradable. In their new study, the team (which also involved the universities of Exeter, Cambridge, Leeds and Bath), describes and tests a new sustainable approach for fully inkjet-printed, eco-friendly e-textiles named 'Smart, Wearable, and Eco-friendly Electronic Textiles', or 'SWEET'.

a) Schematic of two important vital signs: skin surface temperature and heart rate of the human body. b) Schematic of wearable e-textiles as gloves. c) Schematic of the position of wearable textile electrode on human skin surface contact. d) Schematic of the textile electrode. e) Schematic of the textile electrodes' composition. f) Schematic of sustainable design approach for wearable e-textiles, including sustainable materials, sustainable manufacturing, and sustainability assessment. Image from: Energy and Environmental Materials

E-textiles are usually embedded with electrical components, such as sensors, batteries or lights. They might be used in fashion, for performance sportwear, or for medical purposes as garments that monitor people's vital signs. Such textiles need to be durable, safe to wear and comfortable, but also, in an industry which is increasingly concerned with clothing waste, they need to be easy on the environment when no longer required.

Researchers from Radboud University Medical Center and Biointerface Laboratory RWTH Aachen University Hospital have used graphene to develop a new technique that allows them to image biological processes as they occur, with enough detail to see protein complexes move. They have demonstrated the method by showing, for the first time, how calcium deposits into a form that may lead to calcification of the arteries and aortic valve.

Schematic overview of the cryo-to-liquid-CLEM workflow. Image from: Advanced Functional Materials

The team explained that liquid phase electron microscopy (LP-EM) has emerged as a powerful technique for in situ observation of material formation in liquid. The use of graphene as window material provides, according to the scientists, new opportunities to image biological processes because of graphene's molecular thickness and electron scavenger capabilities. However, in most cases the process of interest is initiated when the graphene liquid cells (GLCs) are sealed, meaning that the process cannot be imaged at early timepoints. So, they developed a novel cryogenic/liquid phase correlative light/electron microscopy workflow that addresses the delay time between graphene encapsulation and the start of the imaging, while combining the advantages of fluorescence and electron microscopy.

Archer Materials has announced that successfully miniaturized its Biochip graphene field effect transistor (gFET) design, reducing its size by 97% and significantly lowering fabrication costs. The development marks a significant step in Archer’s efforts to strengthen its semiconductor capabilities and expand its role in medical diagnostics.

This advancement, achieved in collaboration with Applied Nanolayers and AOI Electronics, enhances the chip’s readiness for integration in home testing devices for chronic kidney disease. 

Zentek has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Triera Biosciences has received a CAD$1.1 million (around USD$791,000) Government of Canada contract to test its multivalent aptamer technology for the rapid drug discovery of therapeutics or prophylactics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (“HPAI”) A(H5N1).

Triera was awarded a these funds through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (“ISED”) Innovative Solutions Canada (“ISC”) program: Health Advanced And Emerging Medical Technologies. Triera’s multivalent aptamer technology was selected for its potential to be used as a rapid drug development platform.