Scientists invent microchips for detecting and diagnosing disease

Scientists at the Tandon School of Engineering have created microchips that can be used to both detect and diagnose disease.

A blog published on the school’s website on 12 December says the microchips are a quick and easy way to carry out diagnostic tests at home.

The microchips can detect and identify diseases from a single cough or air sample and can be produced at scale. 

Transforming rapid tests

The invention provides a solution to counter the wide spread of diseases in today’s world by making it possible for just about anyone to diagnose diseases from anywhere using using a device as small and portable as a smartwatch. 

With the device, tests can detect the tiniest concentrations of bacteria and viruses from the air. One of the inventors, Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Elisa Riedo said:

“This study opens new horizons in the field of biosensing. Microchips, the backbone of smartphones, computers, and other smart devices, have transformed the way people communicate, entertain, and work. Similarly, today, our technology will allow microchips to revolutionize healthcare, from medical diagnostics, to environmental health” says Riedo,

According to the team, the microchips use field-effect transistors (FETs) which are tiny electronic sensors that directly detect biological markers and convert them into digital signals. 

These serve as an alternative to traditional color-based chemical diagnostic tests like home pregnancy tests with faster results and the ability to test for several diseases at the same time and transmit outcomes to health professionals.

Looking to the future

FET-based biosensors offer a rapid and versatile way to diagnose diseases. With advances in science, they are now capable of detecting femtomolar concentrations, or one quadrillionth of a mole with the application of nanowires, indium oxide, and graphene.

However, they still can’t detect multiple pathogens or biomarkers simultaneously on the same chip. Researchers are therefore exploring new ways to modify FET surfaces so that each transistor on a chip can detect a different biomarker allowing for parallel detection of multiple pathogens.