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,...

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective semipermeable complex, and only about 2% of small molecules in the blood can penetrate it. Because of this, drug delivery to the brain is fairly ineffective. Research into receptors expressed on the BBB is promising, however, many receptors (glucose transporter 1, transferrin receptor, LDL-receptor...

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Chron’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasing globally, as is the healthcare burden, with studies showing it as one of the top 5 most expensive GI conditions. Early and accurate diagnosis is strongly associated with better patient outcomes. However, the common...

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s are affecting an increasing number, with annual new diagnoses approaching one-half million; and total cost, $150 billion. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for optimal outcomes, yet there is currently no test to detect such diseases in their early, asymptomatic stages. Active immuniza-tion...

Diverse pathologies, especially related to early protein misfolding and aggregation, are observed in different neurodegenerative diseases. Some protein variants result in different proteinopathies that vary from patient to patient, highlighting a need for personalized diagnostic tests to enable accurate diagnoses. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) refers...

Misfolding and aggregation of proteins, such as beta-amyloid (Aß), alpha-synuclein (a-syn), tau and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), have been strongly correlated with early onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and...

Misfolding and aggregation of proteins, such as beta-amyloid (Aß), alpha-synuclein (a-syn), tau and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), have been strongly correlated with early onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and...

Misfolding and aggregation of proteins, such as beta-amyloid (Aß), alpha-synuclein (a-syn), tau and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), have been strongly correlated with early onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and...

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...

Noninvasive sampling is critical for certain patient populations, such as hemophiliacs, neonates, elderly or immunocompromised individuals, especially if they require daily monitoring. Blood sampling is painful, inconvenient and often difficult and increases the risk of exposure to infectious agents, which can be devastating to immunocompromised populations....