Detecting tumor cells in the blood using a biosensor that has no contact with the sample was the new development awarded a gold medal in the Exact Technologies, Earth and Engineering category at the USP Olympiad 2011, promoted by the innovation agency of the University of São Paulo (USP). The device, which measures just a few centimeters, uses biochemical and electrochemical methods to recognize molecules on the surface of cancer cells, using an electrical current and folic acid, a complex B vitamin. It comprises a polymer micro-channel and a silicone layer, where the folic acid biosensors are placed, to which the cancer cells attach themselves if they are present in the solution (blood plasma) that flows within the micro-channel. The electrodes are installed in a third layer, made from glass. If a tumor is detected electrochemical information is sent to them, changing the electrical information and causing a difference in the signal of the current detected by the biosensor. “It differs from other biosensor projects in that the electrodes aren’t in direct contact with the solution,” explains Emanuel Carrilho from USP’s São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, the project coordinator.
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