Nano-nose to help identify illnesses
Nanoparticles are used by U.S. researchers to 'smell' the scent of illnesses in fluids of the body. The researchers used nanoparticles of gold with different coatings to distinguish among different proteins and detect the illness, as reported by the New Scientist.
According to Vince Rotello from the University of Massachusetts the human nose has a series of receptors, which react differently to different compounds. Thus it is not a specific smell that the receptors react to, but it is a generalized response produced by the receptors, which creates the smell.
Teamed up with his colleagues from the university and with scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Vince Rotello applied the same 'nose-principle' to detect proteins.
The 'nano nose' uses a system of six receptors, each one consisting of a solution with gold nano particles not larger than 2 nanometers, each one having a different coating too. Nitrogen atoms form the organic molecules which make up the coating of the nanoparticles.
Different types of proteins have different features, thus having a property to attach to various receptors, though binding with some receptors more than with others. The team's task was to identify those properties of binding for different proteins. For this purpose the team used a molecule beaming a fluorescent signal. The molecule attached to the receptor particles and then it was replaced by protein molecule when the latter bound to the receptor. This way, the more the fluorescent molecule was displaced, the more light produced. The results were subsequently analyzed by the computer.
During the experiments the scientists ran tests with 56 different proteins and proved that the signals produced by the receptors could be then used to distinguish among various proteins. The 'nano-nose' was accurate in 96 of 100 cases during these tests.
Mr. Rotello is optimistic about this accomplishment, as it could be used not just for smelling out proteins specific for a disease, but it could see the difference or the anomaly in the normal combination of proteins in the human body.
After running a series of tests with blood of sick and healthy animals, the scientists were able to identify changes in serum. They do not want to stop here and they try to make this ability statistically stable. Later on Rotello plans to make the 'nano-nose' identify different kinds of cancer cells and other diseases.
Such a nose device, sniffing out illnesses is not a novelty in the world of science and technology, as there were devices developed capable of detecting small molecules; yet the Rotello's system is the first one to detect large and complicated molecules.
Powered by www.infoniac.comComments:
- 2 votes
//26 Aug 29, 2009 12:48 AM | posted by:
gina - the invention is really good!
- 1 votes
//25 Aug 01, 2009 11:38 PM | posted by: azl - hi
- 1 votes
//24 Mar 17, 2009 07:05 AM | posted by: JC - very good invetion.. It really helps me a lot in my research papare..
- 1 votes
//23 Feb 15, 2009 05:38 PM | posted by: mikayla - this is so incredible!i hope they can figure out how to the nano nose to identify cancer cells
- 4 votes
//22 Feb 09, 2009 04:52 AM | posted by: maynard - I LoVe ThIs ArTiClE So mUcH BeC. We d
- 0 votes
//21 Feb 02, 2009 05:22 AM | posted by: desiree anne deligero - its an interesting article.this can really help on us especially in the field of nursing and in medical.can you send me an email about your article?this can really help me in my research..thanks.this is my email add....desireeannedeligero@rocketmail.com
- 0 votes
//20 Jan 16, 2009 07:26 PM | posted by: Unknown - i love it. the invention is wonderful. am sure lots of people esp.in the field of medicines, nurses and doctors and even maidwives would be delighted to this for this is of great help to them. they wud no longer find hard time in checking up patients ilnesses.my salute for the author.
- 0 votes
//19 Dec 17, 2008 01:58 AM | posted by: celestine - nice,.,...nice invention
- 0 votes
//18 Dec 12, 2008 10:04 PM | posted by: nessa - it is a great invention! This new trend is a big help in the field of nursing and in medicine. keep it up....
- 0 votes
//17 Dec 06, 2008 05:13 AM | posted by: liuli - nothing
- 0 votes
//16 Dec 02, 2008 06:39 PM | posted by: e - Does anyone know who wrote this, or what the URL is?
- 0 votes
//15 Nov 30, 2008 01:48 PM | posted by: maazhiekh - this article is interesting. Ima use it for my science report! ty for the news---a middle skwl guy
- 0 votes
//14 Nov 21, 2008 09:34 PM | posted by: lyn - very good invention
- 0 votes
//13 Nov 03, 2008 02:16 PM | posted by: Bailey - this was so cool i did a report on this and my teacher flipped out it was so good
- 0 votes
//12 Aug 26, 2008 03:51 AM | posted by: marc of philippines - nice very helpful
- 0 votes
//11 Aug 03, 2008 04:52 PM | posted by: kristine - this is freakin' awesome....
with this we could no longer be taking so much medical treatment and check-ups..
this would be a tremendous hit to all the people around the world.. i love reading this article,.. - 0 votes
//10 Jul 28, 2008 10:47 PM | posted by: missy - its a nice invention...doctors will not anymore find hard time to examine the disease of the patient...it good...congratulations...
- 0 votes
//9 Jul 26, 2008 03:05 AM | posted by: zoe jane - Thanks for the info.,it helps me a lot......
- 0 votes
//8 Jul 22, 2008 09:26 AM | posted by: sanyam - thanks to this site for bringing such a great information to us
- 0 votes
//7 Jun 25, 2008 04:56 AM | posted by: seych - thanks, you had help me a lot in my project..
- 0 votes
//6 May 14, 2008 10:56 PM | posted by: adi - thanks 4 putting up the article.it's just fantastic
- 0 votes
//5 Apr 22, 2008 02:50 AM | posted by: ANIL KUMAR N.C - ocourse the discovery of nano-nose wil be a blasting discovery in medical field.but whether it is effective at different intensities??i mean at the starting stage and at the more critical stage?
- 0 votes
//4 Nov 23, 2007 03:47 PM | posted by: laith - this is an amazing invention
- 0 votes
//3 Nov 13, 2007 12:27 AM | posted by: TiLEt - this article is very amazing.!!!!! it never comes tomy mind that there is such a thing,nano-nose,that will be discover.nano-nose wil be very helpful to human.congratulations.
- 0 votes
//2 Nov 01, 2007 08:52 AM | posted by: Jeff Wolf - with my scientific knowledge, this was most pleasing to my brain!
i thank you so much for putting this article up here, my life is filled with happieness because of it - 0 votes
//1 Oct 13, 2007 05:20 AM | posted by: Gelvene - elow!!!!!
