Phage Wrapping to Enhance Sensitivity of Novel Phage Nanowire Biosensors

Brief Description

The Weiss and Penner labs at the University of California, Irvine have developed a portfolio of technologies based on M13 bacteriophage viruses that have successfully been incorporated into nanowire arrays. The resulting label-free phage-based biosensors allow direct electrical resistance measurements to quickly detect low concentrations of target analytes.

Recently the Weiss and Penner labs have developed a unique combination of molecules used to wrap the phage to enhance and exploit the aforementioned phage-based biosensors. This unique combination of molecules decreases non-specific binding to phages and increases the sensitivity and signal-to-noise of the phage-based biosensors.

Suggested uses

The phage-based biosensors may be used to diagnose disease in patients.

Patent Status

State Of Development

A prototype of the phage array biosensors has been made.