Moving diagnostics out of the lab and into your hand

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have developed a diagnostic platform technology that enables the detection of a broad range of biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity in complex biological fluids, using as little as a single drop of blood. After experimenting with a variety of recipes, the research team developed a simple, porous, 3-D matrix consisting of bovine serum albumin cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and supported by a network of conducting nanomaterials, such as gold nanowires or carbon nanotubes.