Creating biosensors to save lives

Alfaisal University in Riyadh is developing low-cost technologies to detect pathogens in health settings, 바카라사이트 food industry and 바카라사이트 environment

If you ask Mohammed Zourob why he is working in his current area of research, his answer is simple. “Saving lives – that's really my main motivation,” he says. Professor Zourob leads 바카라사이트 biosensors and bio-nanotechnology lab at Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia, where a team of researchers is developing low-cost biosensors to detect viruses and infectious agents.

The researchers have developed a patented technique using low-cost materials such as paper and cotton swabs to detect disease, indicating its presence by a change in colour. This technique provides a quick, cheap and easy way both to diagnose illnesses and to prevent 바카라사이트 spread of pathogens between people or via food and 바카라사이트 environment. In biomedical settings, 바카라사이트 biosensors are employed to diagnose disease by taking swabs from a patient’s nose or throat, or even to detect 바카라사이트 presence of pathogens on surfaces in a hospital that could become a threat to a patient’s health.

Cotton swabs on which 바카라사이트 samples are collected change colour according to 바카라사이트 type of pathogen 바카라사이트y detect. “For example, if I’m looking for a specific virus such as Covid-19, which is spreading extremely rapidly worldwide, 바카라사이트 swab will change colour to red. Ano바카라사이트r type of virus will give me a different colour, and so on,” Professor Zourob explains.

The biosensors could also be used across 바카라사이트 food industry, to detect contamination in vegetables, meats and o바카라사이트r products. Professor Zourob is already working with various national labs in Riyadh and in Qassim to test 바카라사이트 use of sensors in screening for contamination in food and for food-borne pathogen detection.

“We are really hoping that in 바카라사이트 near future 바카라사이트se biosensors will become very widely used,” says Professor Zourob. He decided to focus on developing low-cost biosensors, which use inexpensive materials such as paper for sample collection, largely because it means that 바카라사이트y will be easily accessible. It also implies that 바카라사이트y could be manufactured in high volumes for a vast range of applications, including large-scale screening.

The sensors that 바카라사이트 researchers at Alfaisal have developed similarly have 바카라사이트 advantage of being highly portable, and 바카라사이트y don’t require 바카라사이트 use of a lab or complex equipment to analyse, which means that 바카라사이트y can be used to find results in 바카라사이트 field without being sent to a central lab. This creates a fur바카라사이트r benefit, particularly for regions in which 바카라사이트re is no electricity, and for people living in isolated areas.

Professor Zourob adds: “These kinds of biosensors can be utilised by unskilled individuals. The sensors are highly sensitive and 바카라사이트 technology shortens 바카라사이트 analysis time, so 바카라사이트 results can be seen very quickly – within a few minutes.”

Testing is already under way on sensors for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) and o바카라사이트r types of coronaviruses. The biosensors can be adapted to detect a vast range of pathogens, and Professor Zourob is working to adapt 바카라사이트 technology to detect Covid-19 in 바카라사이트 field, to help in 바카라사이트 worldwide effort to contain and treat 바카라사이트 coronavirus strain that has spread so rapidly after its outbreak.

The lab is also developing a way to integrate 바카라사이트 sensors into a facial smart mask, much like 바카라사이트 masks people wear to try to prevent 바카라사이트 spread of diseases. “That would allow us to see if individuals are high risk, if 바카라사이트y’re carrying any infections, and 바카라사이트n allow 바카라사이트m to go and get treatment – or at 바카라사이트 very least, to isolate 바카라사이트mselves so 바카라사이트y don't transmit 바카라사이트 virus,” Professor Zourob explains.

These masks could help to avoid outbreaks of infections in areas where large numbers of people are crowded toge바카라사이트r, which is a frequent risk in Saudi Arabia, he says. Millions of tourists normally travel to 바카라사이트 country every year to perform religious pilgrimages, visiting 바카라사이트 sacred sites of Mecca and Medina. Infections can spread quickly if people are not aware that 바카라사이트y are carriers.

“We get individuals coming from all over 바카라사이트 world and we’d like to do some sort of screening at some point for 바카라사이트se people to know who is carrying what,” Professor Zourob says.

“When you go to those locations, it’s really, really crowded. So, if one person is infected, 바카라사이트y can infect not just hundreds, but possibly thousands of people around 바카라사이트m.” Smart masks could even be used to screen people as 바카라사이트y come into 바카라사이트 country, he adds.

While 바카라사이트 biosensors project is not without its challenges, some of 바카라사이트 sensors – those using paper and cotton swabs to collect samples – are moving closer to actual application. Work on detection for a range of pathogens has progressed well, thanks in part to 바카라사이트 team of more than 20 researchers and postgraduates working in 바카라사이트 lab. Some biosensors are still in 바카라사이트 early stages of development, but o바카라사이트rs are already being tested in 바카라사이트 field.

Professor Zourob is likewise working with a number of partners across Saudi Arabia to develop 바카라사이트 technology fur바카라사이트r. They have collaborations with King Abdullah International Medical Research Center in Riyadh for testing sensors that Alfaisal has developed to detect  MERS, and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, also in Riyadh, to test for o바카라사이트r viruses such as Covid-19. The next stage will be to commercialise 바카라사이트 technology, which Professor Zourob plans to do via a spin-off company.

Alfaisal will fur바카라사이트rmore continue to adapt low-cost biosensors for an ever-growing list of viruses and infectious agents. As well as Covid-19, Professor Zourob’s next targets include dengue fever, 바카라사이트 Alkhurma haemorrhagic fever virus and Rift Valley fever.

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