New Nanopore Sensors Developed in Thiruvananthapuram for Early Detection of Parkinson's Disease

Researchers at the BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in Thiruvananthapuram have created a new nanopore-based sensing technology to help detect and monitor biomarkers linked to neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The Research Team

A team led by Mahendran K.R., along with PhD student Varsha Shaji and postdoctoral researcher Neethu Puthumadathil, designed these self-assembling dual-diameter nanopore sensors. The RGCB noted that the sensors can spot these biomarkers with high sensitivity. This study was published in Nature Nanotechnology and marks a major step forward in nanoscience and biomolecular sensing.

How It Works

Biomarkers act as disease indicators that allow for early detection, but finding them early using standard methods is tough because they often appear in very low amounts. To solve this, the researchers created short peptides that form pores of different sizes. This gives them a flexible platform to sense biomolecules with various shapes. The sensors can tell the difference between disease-associated and non-disease-associated forms of biomarkers, even inside complex protein mixtures at very low levels.

Future Uses and Collaborations

Down the road, these sensors could help build point-of-care tools that spot disease biomarkers straight from biological fluids like blood. BRIC-RGCB director Beena Pillai stated that early and accurate detection is still a big hurdle in treating neurodegenerative diseases, and this platform shows how nanotechnology and biotechnology can join forces to meet this healthcare need. The project was done in partnership with Ulrich Kleinekathöfer's group at Constructor University in Germany and Krishnananda Chattopadhyay's group at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in Kolkata. Funding came from the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Science and Technology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.