Scientists at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a new way of utilizing nanotechnology to detect important biomarkers within the skin using what looks like a simple lotion.
Their NanoFlares, which are spherical, programmable nano-scale balls of nucleic acid, have gold cores. These NanoFlares are able to penetrate the skin and meet up with biochemicals within. When the nucleic acids interact with targeted biomarkers, the gold cores are exposed and the become free to fluoresce and therefore to be detected.
The researchers published their study in Nature Biomedical Engineering, but have also provided a summary and discussion article to better understand the ramifications of this method in journal SLAL Technology.
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