Graphene used to identify cancerous cells

By interfacing brain cells onto graphene, the researchers were able to differentiate a single hyperactive cancerous cell from a normal cell. It’s believed the discovery could pave the way for a relatively straightforward, noninvasive diagnostic tool for detecting the disease.

Graphene’s single layer of carbon atoms share a cloud of electrons that move freely around its surface, making it extremely sensitive to changes. Compared to healthy cells, the hyperactivity of cancerous cells leads to a higher negative charge on the graphene’s surface, resulting in the release of more protons, and a change in the atomic vibration energy in graphene's crystal lattice structure. This change is mapped using Raman spectography with a resolution of 300 nanometres.

"This graphene system is able to detect the level of activity of an interfaced cell," said Vikas Berry, associate professor and head of chemical engineering at UIC, who led the research.