Point-of-care (POC) testing techniques are essential in molecular diagnostics, particularly in resource-limited settings. The first step in molecular diagnostics is sample preparation which may include extraction of nucleic acids (NAs). Simple and efficient NA extraction is crucial for downstream applications such as pathogen detection, genetic analysis,...

Fluorescence based point-of-care molecular diagnostic systems are ubiquitous in healthcare. However, many tests require that the sample be sent to a reference laboratory and read by trained medical staff which can be expensive and result in delayed analysis. Portable systems have been developed, however, detecting multiple biomarkers requires a different...

Nitric species such as nitric oxides are important environmental pollutants as well as key breath biomarkers of respiratory diseases. A chemical sensor that can quickly, selectively and sensitively detect these analytes will find applications not only in environmental monitoring, but also as a non-invasive medical diagnosis and management device. Current...

Studying single cells is difficult due to the laborious and costly cell isolation procedures which restrict throughput and impede the analysis of large numbers of cells or multiple samples in a single experiment. ASU researchers previously developed a method which used the cell’s membrane as a container for different reactions. One such reaction...

Molecular interactions are integral to virtually all biological processes including cell signaling, enzyme activity, protein functionality, and disease development. Understanding the kinetics of these interactions is crucial for providing detailed quantitative and mechanistic insights, at the molecular level, which are essential for advancements in...

Background The chemical composition of aerosol particles provides key insights into the study of the behavior of planetary atmospheres. Measuring aerosol composition typically involves separating the aerosols from the carrier atmospheric gases, which can be challenging. Current methods for aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) are well-established in the...

Nanoarray-based assays offer advantages over standard microarray assays such as minimal sample consumption, high efficiency, and enhanced multiplexing capacity. However, despite their potential, they face challenges such as the complexity and high cost of spotting and fabrication, as well as a lack of effective detection schemes. This impedes many practical...

Background Electrochemical sensors are devices that use electrical signals to detect the presence or concentration of a target analyte. These sensors are widely used in a range of applications including glucose sensors, environmental monitoring, food safety testing, medical diagnostics, and industrial process control. However, the manufacturing process...

Many cancers have recurrent chromosomal translocations leading to the fusion of two genes. Often, said cancers are aggressive, have a poor prognosis with metastasis or recurrence, and do not have effective and targeted treatment. The challenge of many fusion-positive cancers is the lack of established targets downstream of the gene fusion despite years...

Background Metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors are a type of solid-state sensing device capable of transducing the binding of an analyte to a measurable signal in the form of changes in electrical resistance. In order to effectively incorporate MOX sensors into wireless devices for environmental and health monitoring applications, the sensors must be miniature...