Cocaine sensor uses nature's techniques to boost sensitivity

The work could facilitate the rapid screening of many drugs, infectious diseases, and cancers in under five minutes.

Prof Alexis Vallée-Bélisle of the University of Montreal Department of Chemistry has worked with Prof Francesco Ricci of the University of Rome Tor Vergata and Prof Kevin W. Plaxco of the University of California at Santa Barbara to improve a new biosensing nanotechnology. The results of the study were recently published in the Journal of American Chemical Society (JACS).

‘Nature is a continuing source of inspiration for developing new technologies,’ said Prof Francesco Ricci in a statement. ‘Many scientists are currently working to develop biosensor technology to detect - directly in the bloodstream and in seconds - drug, disease, and cancer molecules.’

‘The most recent rapid and easy-to-use biosensors developed by scientists to determine the levels of various molecules such as drugs and disease markers in the blood only do so when the molecule is present in a certain concentration, called the concentration window,’ said Professor Vallée-Bélisle. ‘Below or above this window, current biosensors lose much of their accuracy.’