MELBOURNE, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a single-use test strip which could ultimately change how diseases like cancer are diagnosed.
The team from Australia's La Trobe University reported in the journal Small that the new biosensor used enzymes to boost an electrical signal to detect disease-indicative molecules, also known as microRNAs, a university statement said Wednesday.
The biosensor works in a similar way to glucose test strips, but is much more sensitive, detecting microRNAs in blood plasma at ultra-low concentrations that are up to a trillion times lower than glucose, it said.
"MicroRNAs provide early clues about health and diseases like cancer, but they can be difficult to detect even using standard laboratory methods like PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests because they are often present in tiny amounts in blood, plasma, and saliva," said La Trobe University senior researcher Saimon Moraes Silva.
The study's lead researcher and La Trobe University PhD candidate Vatsala Pithaih said the team's key breakthrough came from a specialized enzyme that amplified the biosensor test strip's response.
The enzyme amplifies the change in the test strip's electrical signal, allowing the detection of microRNAs at concentrations 1,000 times lower than usual, Pithaih said.
The innovation could underpin portable diagnostic devices for use outside traditional labs, making disease testing more affordable and accessible, the researchers said. ■