New Delhi– A team of interdisciplinary researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Guwahati, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed an innovative optical sensing platform capable of detecting cholesterol at trace levels. The breakthrough platform, announced Wednesday, uses silk fiber functionalized with phosphorene quantum dots to create a highly sensitive detection method.
The team has successfully developed a laboratory-scale point-of-care (POC) device based on this technology, designed for routine cholesterol monitoring. According to a statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology, the device can detect cholesterol in extremely small amounts—even below the typical preferred range—making it an efficient tool for early disease detection and personalized health monitoring.
This cholesterol detection platform could play a critical role in identifying early warning signs of various health conditions, including atherosclerosis, venous thrombosis, cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and certain cancers.
The research team, led by retired professor Neelotpal Sen Sarma, Dr. Asis Bala, Associate Professor, and Nasrin Sultana, a DST INSPIRE Senior Research Fellow, incorporated the silk fiber into a cellulose nitrate membrane, creating an electrical sensing platform alongside the optical version. These synthesized sensors demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity for cholesterol detection.
One notable advantage of the electrical sensing platform is that it generates no electronic waste, making it an environmentally friendly solution.
The sensing platforms were tested successfully in real-world media, including human blood serum, experimental rat blood serum, and milk, showcasing their broad applicability. The team’s findings have been published in Nanoscale, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Early detection of fatal diseases often relies on identifying abnormal biochemical markers. Reliable point-of-care detection of such biomarkers is crucial for personalized healthcare, allowing for timely interventions.
Cholesterol, a vital lipid produced by the liver, is essential for various bodily functions, including the production of vitamin D, bile acids, and steroid hormones. It plays a key role in maintaining healthy tissues, blood, and nerve cells. However, imbalances in cholesterol levels can lead to serious health risks. Cholesterol is transported through the bloodstream in two main forms: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as ‘bad’ cholesterol due to its tendency to accumulate in artery walls, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or ‘good’ cholesterol, which helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream.
The development of this optical sensing platform represents a significant step forward in non-invasive, real-time cholesterol monitoring, with the potential to greatly enhance preventive healthcare. (Source: IANS)
