In the new assay system used at the Mirkin lab, the protein to be detected (in this case, prostate specific antigen, PSA) is sandwiched between a magnetic microparticle (MMP) and a gold nanoparticle (NP). The system detects the bio-bar-codes present on the NPs with sensitivity five orders of magnitude greater than that of ELISA. (Reprinted with permission,
As any 5-year-old child will tell you, magnets are great for lifting things off the floor, but they don't help to get your room cleaned any faster. They can, however, be extremely helpful in identifying proteins and nucleic acids, according to new research from Northwestern University.
Chemistry professor and nanotech entrepreneur Chad Mirkin's "bio-barcode"-based system12 equals PCR in its sensitivity while promising to vastly undercut the cost and improve the accuracy of traditional PCR or ELISA-based tests. "It's the first demonstration of a system with the kind of sensitivity that ...
