{"id":6238,"date":"2017-06-20T15:15:36","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T13:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cienciagandia.webs.upv.es\/en\/?p=6238"},"modified":"2017-06-21T09:45:59","modified_gmt":"2017-06-21T07:45:59","slug":"new-photonic-sensor-technique-helps-to-improve-early-cancer-detection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cienciagandia.webs.upv.es\/en\/2017\/06\/new-photonic-sensor-technique-helps-to-improve-early-cancer-detection\/","title":{"rendered":"New Photonic Sensor Technique Helps to Improve Early Cancer Detection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers from the Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia<\/strong> have developed a new technique for the creating highly sensitive photonic sensors<\/strong>. Among its various applications, this technique is especially useful for the development of devices for early detection of diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s<\/strong>, as well as the of monitoring environmental pollutants or the detection of biological threats<\/strong>, among other fields.<\/p>\n

The project is led by Campus Gandia<\/strong> researcher, Jaime Garc\u00eda Rup\u00e9rez<\/strong><\/a>, and includes researchers from the Valencia Nanophotonics Technology Center (NTC)<\/strong><\/a> and the Institute for Molecular Recognition and Technological Development (IDM.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The technique patented by the UPV allows for lab-on-a-chip<\/strong><\/em> analysis systems that have significantly greater sensitivity as compared to the current photonic sensing systems, and to other analysis systems are based on other technologies.\u00a0In addition, it will enable immediate detection of analytes with reduced molecular mas<\/strong>s, something that is currently very complicated to do with the technology available at the moment.<\/p>\n

“Our method can be applied to the development of analysis devices based on nanophotonic technology for use in any field where it is necessary to detect one or several analytes with high sensitivity, especially in the detection of analytes of reduced molecular mass,” emphasizes Jaime Garc\u00eda Rup\u00e9rez<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

IMPROVEMENTS OVER OTHER TECHNIQUES<\/p>\n

At present, markers need to be made in order to detect analytes with reduced molecular mass or analytes with extremely low concentrations, such as certain biomarkers associated with diseases like cancer or certain contaminants. Sampled need to be prepared beforehand to selectively bind the markers to the analytes of interest. These markers exhibit certain physical properties: fluorescence, radioactivity , etc.. Therefore, when these markers are attached to the analyte, they are indirectly detected based on the measurements of these properties.<\/p>\n