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AI-designed serotonin sensor may help scientists study sleep and mental health

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Serotonin is a neurochemical that plays a critical role in the way the brain controls our thoughts and feelings. For example, many antidepressants are designed to alter serotonin signals sent between neurons.

In an article in Cell, National Institutes of Health-funded researchers described how they used advanced genetic engineering techniques to transform a bacterial protein into a new research tool that may help monitor serotonin transmission with greater fidelity than current methods. Preclinical experiments, primarily in mice, showed that the sensor could detect subtle, real-time changes in brain serotonin levels during sleep, fear, and social interactions, as well as test the effectiveness of new psychoactive drugs.

The study was funded, in part, by the NIH’s Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative which aims to revolutionize our understanding of the brain under healthy and disease conditions. [Read more…] about AI-designed serotonin sensor may help scientists study sleep and mental health

Electronic skin has a strong future stretching ahead

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A material that mimics human skin in strength, stretchability and sensitivity could be used to collect biological data in real time. Electronic skin, or e-skin, may play an important role in next-generation prosthetics, personalized medicine, soft robotics and artificial intelligence.

“The ideal e-skin will mimic the many natural functions of human skin, such as sensing temperature and touch, accurately and in real time,” says KAUST postdoc Yichen Cai. However, making suitably flexible electronics that can perform such delicate tasks while also enduring the bumps and scrapes of everyday life is challenging, and each material involved must be carefully engineered. [Read more…] about Electronic skin has a strong future stretching ahead

Laser writing breathes life into high-performance sensing platforms

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A simple method developed at KAUST uses laser beams to create graphene electrodes that have better performance than those produced through older methods.

Electrodes consisting of graphene, an atypical form of carbon, may transform the way electroactive substances are detected and measured in numerous fields ranging from food safety and clinical diagnosis to environmental monitoring1,2,3.

Graphene comprises multiple ultrathin and highly ordered sheets of interconnected honeycomb-shaped rings of carbon atoms. This multilayered architecture provides the material with exceptional electronic properties, especially electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic activity, as well as physical features that are useful for making electrochemical sensors. [Read more…] about Laser writing breathes life into high-performance sensing platforms

Chili-shaped device could reveal just how hot that pepper is

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Some people love spicy food – the hotter, the better. Others go out of their way to avoid the palate-singeing burn of capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick.

Now, researchers have developed a portable device (whimsically shaped like a chili pepper) that can reveal how much capsaicin a pepper contains, before biting into it. They report their results in ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Chili peppers are a popular food ingredient around the world. In addition to imparting a spicy flavor, the capsaicin in chili peppers has several health benefits, including anti-oxidative, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. [Read more…] about Chili-shaped device could reveal just how hot that pepper is

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  • Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infection
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    Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infectionOne feature of the Covid-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection. The carrier of the virus might feel perfectly well and go about their daily business--taking the…
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Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infection

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One feature of the Covid-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection. The carrier of the virus might feel perfectly well and go about their daily business–taking the virus with them to work, to the home of a family member, or to public gatherings.

A crucial part of the global effort to stem the spread of the pandemic, therefore, is the development of tests that can rapidly identify infections in people who are not yet symptomatic.

Now, Caltech researchers have developed a new type of multiplexed test (a test that combines multiple kinds of data) with a low-cost sensor that may enable the at-home diagnosis of a Covid infection through rapid analysis of small volumes of saliva or blood, without the involvement of a medical professional, in less than 10 minutes. [Read more…] about Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infection

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    Early results from DETECT study suggest fitness trackers can predict Covid-19 infectionsExamining data from the first six weeks of their landmark DETECT study, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Translational Institute sees encouraging signs that wearable fitness devices can improve public health efforts to control Covid-19. The DETECT study, launched on March 25, uses a mobile app to collect smartwatch…
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TDK launches new sensor range as it hosts industry event

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The sixth annual TDK Sensors Developers Conference is currently under way in Santa Clara, in the US. 

Keynote speaker at the event is Jenelea Howell, director of IoT and connectivity at IHS Market. 

Sensors often presented as the backbone of the Internet of Things (IoT), measuring and collecting data that enables any IoT application.  [Read more…] about TDK launches new sensor range as it hosts industry event