Researchers have developed a highly sensitive, eco-friendly, and affordable optical sensing platform that can detect cholesterol levels early, potentially helping in the early diagnosis of serious health conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, hypertension, venous thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and even cancer.
Early detection of such diseases is crucial, as they are often associated with changes in biochemical markers. Therefore, having a reliable point-of-care (POC) testing system for these biomarkers is essential for personalized health monitoring and disease prevention.
Cholesterol is a vital lipid produced by the liver and is essential for forming vitamin D, bile acids, and steroid hormones. It plays an important role in the structure of blood, nerve cells, and other animal tissues. In mammals, cholesterol is transported through the bloodstream in two main forms: LDL (low-density lipoprotein), known as “bad” cholesterol due to its role in artery blockages, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein), known as “good” cholesterol.
Maintaining the right cholesterol balance is critical. Imbalances—whether too high or too low—can contribute to several serious health problems, including plaque buildup in the arteries that restricts blood flow, known as atherosclerosis.
To address this, an interdisciplinary research team at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati—an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has developed an innovative cholesterol detection platform. The system uses silk fibre, enhanced with phosphorene quantum dots, to create an optical sensing tool capable of detecting cholesterol in extremely low (trace) amounts.
This lab-scale point-of-care (POC) device offers a practical method for regular cholesterol monitoring and can detect cholesterol levels even below the recommended range. The research was led by Prof. Neelotpal Sen Sarma (retired), Dr. Asis Bala (Associate Professor), and Nasrin Sultana, a DST INSPIRE Senior Research Fellow.
To build the sensing system, the silk fibre was embedded into a cellulose nitrate membrane, forming an electrical sensing platform. The sensors demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity for cholesterol, with the added benefit of generating no electronic waste (e-waste)—a major environmental advantage.
Importantly, the sensing system showed consistent results when tested in real-world samples, including human blood serum, rat blood serum, and milk. The findings were published in the Nanoscale journal by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
I never thought about it that way—thanks for the insight!
This was exactly what I was looking for!