Ultrasensitive biosensor promising for diagnostics and personalized medicine

Researchers have created an ultrasensitive biosensor that could open up new opportunities for early detection of cancer and personalized medicine tailored to the specific biochemistry of individual patients. The device, the Flexure-FET biosensor, could be several hundred times more sensitive than other biosensors. It combines a mechanical sensor, which identifies a biomolecule based on mass or size, with an electrical sensor, which identifies molecules based on their electrical charge. The new sensor detects both charged and uncharged biomolecules, allowing a broader range of applications than either type of sensor alone. "Individually, both of these types of biosensors have limited sensitivity, but when you combine the two you get something that is better than either," said said Muhammad A. Alam, a Purdue University professor of electrical and computer engineering.