Medicine - Page 1

Researchers from Boston College, Boston University, and Giner Labs have designed a small graphene-based multiplexed bio-sensor that detects opioid byproducts in wastewater.

The novel device uses graphene-based field effect transistors to detect four different synthetic and natural opioids at once, while shielding them from wastewater’s harsh elements. When a specific opioid metabolite attaches to a molecular probe on the graphene, it changes the electrical charge on the graphene. These signals are easily read electronically for each probe attached to the device.

A research group from Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology and the Technical University of Denmark has shown that graphene can rapidly distinguish between types of bacteria. The team therefore set out to create extremely sensitive sensors, that can generate rapid signals upon bacterial colonization.​

The team developed a simple prototype sensor based on pristine, non-functionalized graphene. The detection principle is a change in electrical resistance of graphene upon exposure to bacterial cells. Without functionalization with specific receptors, such sensors cannot be expected to be selective to certain bacteria. However, the researchers demonstrated that two different bacterial species can be detected and differentiated by the new sensor due to their different growth dynamics, adherence pattern, density of adhered bacteria and microcolonies formation.