High-performance graphene-based biosensors to help detect blood disorders

Scientists in Germany and Korea took Aptamer-based electrochemical biosensors, known for their high sensitivity and low detection limit, to the next level in their new “label-free” design based on laser-induced graphene, thus paving the way for their easy application in point-of-care diagnostics.

Thrombin is an enzyme that plays a vital role in wound healing by helping retain blood within the damaged blood vessel—a process known as hemostasis. What is more interesting to biologists, however, is that thrombin is found in increased concentrations under abnormal conditions, and thus can be used to diagnose and monitor blood disorders and malignancies. Thus, it is crucial to detect even minute concentrations of thrombin in the blood. The team of researchers has now devised a novel biosensor for accurately detecting minute amounts of thrombin in the blood, that holds a potential to revolutionize the field of blood disorder diagnostics.