An electric and elastic mechanism has an opportunity to revolutionize the world of cancer research.

Ankit Jain, a graduate student, and Muhammad Alam, an electrical and computer engineering professor, have discovered a way to detect cancer in its early stages and personalize medicine for each individual. This possibility comes from a more sensitive biosensor called Flexure-FET.

It has two parts, Jain said. The first word, Flexure, comes from the flexibility it has, like a diving board. The second, (FET), comes from the electrical part of it.

The new sensor is combined with two, less sensitive sensor techniques to make the super sensitive sensor. An idea to mix the two came from each sensors lack of cost efficiency.

The idea for it is, Can you do something that is highly sensitive, and at the same time will be inexpensive? Alam said. (We want to make it) like the glucose monitors sold at Walmart.

According to Jains research article, electrical biosensors identify particles based on their electrical charge. Nano cantilevers locate the diseased molecules under the skins surface by measuring the mass, stiffness and/or surface stress. With the Flexure-FET including both of these abilities, Alam said early cancer detection and personalized medicine will be available in the future.

The personalized medicine looks at the main composition of protein networks that you have and the DNA sequence, Alam said. (From knowing a persons body composition) one would be able to design medicine specifically tailored for one person.

Alam used a diving board metaphor to describe the flexibility of an early cancer detection technique in regards to each persons diseased molecules.

When people jump into a swimming pool, think about that as one class of sensors, he said. If a heavy person stands on the edge of a spring board, then it will bend more, if a lighter person stands on the edge, it will bend less. We can detect molecules like that.

Alam was surprised at how the two techniques came together better than he expected.

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Nano technology improves health field