A new study, led by the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) along with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and other international partners like the University of Manchester (under the European Graphene Flagship project), presents EGNITE (Engineered Graphene for Neural Interfaces) - a novel class of flexible, high-resolution, high-precision graphene-based implantable neurotechnology with the potential for a transformative impact in neuroscience and medical applications. 

This work aims to deliver an innovative technology to the growing field of neuroelectronics and brain-computer interfaces. EGNITE builds on the experience of its inventors in fabrication and medical translation of carbon nanomaterials. This innovative technology based on nanoporous graphene integrates fabrication processes standard in the semiconductor industry to assemble graphene microelectrodes of a mere 25 µm in diameter. The graphene microelectrodes exhibit low impedance and high charge injection, essential attributes for flexible and efficient neural interfaces.

Researchers at China's Hunan University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Washington in the U.S have developed a metal-free nanozyme based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) for highly efficient tumor chemodynamic therapy (CDT).

GQDs have potential as a cost-effective means of addressing the toxicity concerns associated with metal-based nanozymes in tumor CDT. However, the limited catalytic activity of GQDs has posed significant challenges for their clinical application, particularly under challenging catalytic conditions. "The obtained GQDs, which are made from red blood cell membranes, are highly effective in treating tumors with few side effects," said Liu Hongji, a member of the research team. "One of the advantages is that they are metal-free. In addition, they function as excellent peroxidase-like biocatalysts."

HydroGraph Clean Power has announced that its flagship graphene product, FGA-1, has been successfully trialed in Hawkeye Bio’s biomedical sensor aimed at the early detection of lung cancer. Hawkeye Bio is a clinical stage medical technology company focused on the early detection of cancer.

HydroGraph’s graphene was selected by Hawkeye Bio based on the purity and consistency of its graphene. Headquartered in Toronto, HydroGraph’s manufacturing facility is located in Manhattan, Kan.

Canada-based Zentek has announced the launch of Triera Biosciences as its wholly owned subsidiary for its aptamer platform technology. This subsidiary now owns the exclusive, global licensing rights for all aptamer-based technology from the collaboration with McMaster University.

The Company is repotedly taking this action following the strong, consistent pre-clinical results of its universal aptamer as a treatment against the SARS-CoV-2 virus including the latest Omicron XBB 1.5 variant and will continue to build upon its previous work on a rapid detection platform within the new subsidiary. Triera will offer a pure play in the biotech space when operated as an independent business and be more accessible to potential pharmaceutical partners, funders, and other interested parties.

An international team of researchers, including scientists from University of California San Diego, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has developed a handheld, non-invasive graphene-based device that can detect biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The biosensor can also transmit the results wirelessly to a laptop or smartphone.

The biosensor consists of a chip with a highly sensitive transistor, made of a graphene layer that is a single atom thick and three electrodes–source and drain electrodes, connected to the positive and negative poles of a battery, to flow electric current, and a gate electrode to control the amount of current flow. Image credit: UCSD

The team tested the device on in vitro samples from patients. The tests reportedly showed the device is as accurate as other state-of-the-art devices. Ultimately, researchers plan to test saliva and urine samples with the biosensor. The device could be modified to detect biomarkers for other conditions as well.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed cost-effective experiments for modifying graphene oxide (GO) that can be used by other academic institutions to train personnel needed for cutting-edge projects in semiconductors, nanoelectronics, healthcare and quantum technologies.

A team led by Rajiv K Kar, assistant professor, at the Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology in IIT-Guwahati, made these discoveries regarding the use of modified graphene oxide for biomedical applications, according to a recent announcement.

Archer Materials, a semiconductor company advancing the quantum computing and medical diagnostics industries, has demonstrated multiplexing readout for its advanced Biochip graphene field effect transistor (“gFET”) device.

Archer confirmed single-device multiplexing using four advanced gFETs as sensors, which were integrated into the Archer advanced Biochip platform. This is significant as Archer intends to apply its multiplexing capability in the Biochip to test for multiple diseases on a single chip at once.

2D-BioPAD is the name of a new Horizon Europe project that was recently launched. With a nearly €6 million budget, 2D-BioPAD will develop a diagnostic system for early Alzheimer's disease detection. This Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funded by the European Union, officially commenced on October 2023 and will go on for 48 months.

2D-BioPAD is developing a fast, reliable, cost-effective and digitally enabled point-of-care in vitro diagnostic system for early Alzheimer's disease detection. The 2D-BioPAD system will make use of cutting-edge 2D materials (i.e., graphene), nanomaterials and aptamers, to enhance biocompatibility, sensitivity and specificity for the simultaneous detection of up to five Alzheimer’s biomarkers in blood. The device will be accompanied by a user-friendly mobile app that will give healthcare professionals real-time access to quantified results in primary healthcare settings. Along the way, artificial intelligence will be used to optimize the design and implementation of the 2D-BioPAD system.

A team of researchers at Penn State has reported the design and fabrication of a long-term stable and highly sensitive flexible electrochemical sensor based on nanocomposite-modified porous graphene by facile laser treatment for detecting biomarkers such as glucose in sweat. 

The laser-reduced and patterned stable conductive nanocomposite on the porous graphene electrode provides the resulting glucose sensor with an excellent sensitivity of 1317.69 µA mm⁻¹ cm⁻² and an ultra-low limit of detection of 0.079 µm. The sensor can also detect pH and exhibit extraordinary stability to maintain more than 91% sensitivity over 21 days in ambient conditions. Taken together with a temperature sensor based on the same material system, the dual glucose and pH sensor integrated with a flexible microfluidic sweat sampling network further results in accurate continuous on-body glucose detection calibrated by the simultaneously measured pH and temperature. 

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have fabricated meter-long composite fibers combining graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets with flexible, conductive polymers that can achieve mechanical strength, toughness, and actuation that surpasses biological muscles.

The team wet-spin a mixture of GO nanosheets and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) into a composite fiber in which the flexible, conductive polymer is embedded in between aligned, closely-packed nanosheets. The addition of a depleting agent, polyethylene glycol (PEG), improves toughness and elasticity, while chemical reduction of GO to rGO increases electrical conductivity. Finally, the composite fibers are plied with nylon yarns to create a hierarchical composite actuator with capabilities better than typical biological muscles (75 J/kg work capacity and 924 W/kg power density).