"Protein Biosensors Could Speed Up Diagnosis in Medical Emergencies"
Biosensor
a device combining a biological recognition element with a transducer to detect a target molecule
Aptamer
a short synthetic strand of DNA or RNA that binds a target protein with high selectivity
Proteins do most of the work in the body. They carry oxygen, fight infections, and send signals between cells. When the body gets sick, protein levels in the blood often change before other signs show. This makes proteins useful early-warning markers for disease.
The idea of a protein biosensor came from early work on measuring glucose. In 1962, biochemist Leland C. Clark, Jr. and microbiologist Champ Lyons built the first working biosensor. It was an electrode coated with an enzyme (a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction) that reacted with glucose to produce an electric current. This design set the basic pattern still used today: a biological part that recognises the target protein, joined to a part that turns this recognition into a measurable signal.
Detecting a single protein in blood is harder than detecting glucose. Blood holds thousands of different proteins at once. Antibodies, made naturally by the immune system, gave scientists their first tool for targeted protein detection. They can be attached to a sensor surface to catch one protein among many. But antibodies are costly to produce. Heat or poor storage can destroy them. Scientists have also engineered monoclonal antibodies: man-made proteins built to bind one specific antigen (a molecule the immune system reacts to). Such antibodies are now used directly as treatments too, including for infections like the Nipah virus. This antigen-binding precision makes antibodies, both natural and engineered, useful recognition elements in biosensors as well.
Antibodies are hard to produce and store. Researchers developed aptamers: short, synthetic strands of DNA or RNA that bind a target protein with high precision. Aptamers are cheaper, more stable, and can be made entirely in a lab, unlike antibodies. Over the past two decades, scientists have built aptamers for hundreds of disease-related proteins. They are now the preferred recognition element in many modern biosensors.
Nanotechnology has sharply improved biosensor sensitivity. Materials such as gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and MXenes (a class of thin, highly conductive materials) offer a large surface area for protein binding. …
With reference to monoclonal antibodies, often mentioned in news, consider the following statements:
I.They are man-made proteins.
II.They stimulate immunological function due to their ability to bind to specific antigens.
III.They are used in treating viral infections like that of Nipah virus.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in healthcare?
Consider the following statements regarding aptamers used in protein biosensors:
1.Aptamers are short synthetic strands of DNA or RNA.
2.Unlike antibodies, aptamers can be produced entirely within a laboratory without relying on biological systems.
3.Aptamers are generally less stable than antibodies under heat and improper storage.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following pairs of protein biosensor recognition elements and their characteristic properties:
1.Antibody — Produced naturally by the immune system; can be costly and heat-sensitive
2.Aptamer — Short synthetic DNA/RNA strand; produced entirely in a laboratory
3.CRISPR-aptamer complex — Generates a large, distinct signal upon target binding
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Consider the following pairs:
Protein marker — Clinical significance
1.Troponin — Rises within hours of a heart attack
2.Procalcitonin — Increases during bacterial infections
3.Cancer-associated proteins — Can appear in blood before a tumour is visible on a scan
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Which of the following materials have been used to enhance the sensitivity of protein biosensors by increasing surface area for protein binding?
1.Gold nanoparticles
2.Carbon nanotubes
3.Graphene
4.MXenes
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to the history of biosensors, consider the following statements:
1.The first functional biosensor was developed in 1962 by Leland C. Clark, Jr. and Champ Lyons.
2.It consisted of an electrode coated with an enzyme that reacted with glucose to produce an electrical current.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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