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An optical aptasensor for real-time quantification of Endotoxin
High accuracy monitoring of endotoxin is crucial for food and pharmaceutical products. Endotoxin is a deadly pyrogen, evidenced by the fact that it is a main trigger of sepsis, a disease that accounts for 1 out of 5 deaths in intensive care units. However, current endotoxin detection relies on multistep processes that are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and unsustainable. Here, the work led by Dr. Alina Rwei, together with (then) postdoctoral scholar Vasileios Papadimitriou (ChemE) and visiting PhD student Pancheng Zhu (ChemE), reports an aptamer-based biosensor for the real-time optical detection of endotoxin. In a recent issue of the Journal of the SCIENCE ADVANCES they show that the sensor exhibits high specificity, reliability (i.e., linear concentration to signal profile in logarithmic scale), and reusability for repeated endotoxin measurements. Furthermore, individual endotoxins can be detected by monitoring the color of single AuNPs via a color camera, achieving single-molecule resolution. This platform can potentially advance endotoxin detection to safeguard medical, food, and pharmaceutical products. Dr. Alina Rwei +31 (0)15 27 86153 A.Y.Rwei@tudelft.nl Building 58, F2.470 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Read the article
Ankur Bordoloi wins Marie Curie Individual Fellowship with his research ORION
The European Commission is awarding €257 million to 1,235 postdoctoral researchers to work at top universities, research centres, private and public organisations and small and medium-sized enterprises. The European Research Agency (REA) received 7,044 applications for this call, of which 17.5% were selected for funding. Ankur Bordoloi is one of them: HydrOdynamics & biomechanics of canceR cell mIgration in heterOgeNeous media (ORION) What is your research about? "Metastasis is one of the most challenging attributes of cancer, accounting for a staggering 90% of cancer-related deaths. It is a complex multistep process by which cancer cells detach from a primary tumor and enter into the bloodstream, then migrate through the vascular system as single or cluster of cells, known as circulating tumor cells (CTC), and finally colonize a secondary organ. Although a primary tumor cell releases up to 3-4 million cells/gram every day, fewer than only 0.01% manage metastasize. Despite a significant progress made in the cancer biology, what makes these few cells to cause metastasis bypassing the complex vascular network remains unknown. In this research, I will collaborate with my primary host institute (Pouyan Boukany, Chemical Engineering, TU Delft) and secondary support institute (Amin Doostmohammadi, Neils Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen) to study the migration of cancer cells in a model in-vitro system mimicking the vascular network. This research will bring together interdisciplinary action including fluid mechanics, biomechanics of cellular interactions, various biochemical reactions and the state-of-the-art microfluidic technology. The outcome of this research will enhance our understanding of the complex metastasis process, and help improving future prevention measures." Why did your research receive this grant? "This proposal integrates my previous experience in fluid mechanics in microsystems and the expertise of the host supervisor (Pouyan Boukany) in cancer related research to tackle some important fundamental aspects of the complex cancer metastasis process. The project is ambitious, innovative, it is highly interdisciplinary and it has significant potential for two-way transfer of knowledge among the participating parties. Besides, the subject matter of this research is of utmost importance for the human health. I scored a total of 98.8% in my evaluation." What does receiving the grant mean for your research? "It means a lot for me to receive this grant at this stage of my career. It gives me the opportunity to show my ability to conduct independent research, develop collaboration with many interdisciplinary experts including researchers at medical institutes such as Erasmus MC and Leiden University Medical Center. I am confident that at the end of this research I will come up with significant relevant experiences to secure a faculty position in one of the leading research institutions in the Netherlands." Dr. Ankur Bordoloi +31 (0)15 27 86678 (secr) Building 58, E2.420 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ DELFT The Netherlands More about the Marie Curie Actions award
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