Technion researchers have developed a method to produce vital particles that can be used as biological sensors for the worlds of food, medicine, environmental science and more
Researchers at the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the Technion have developed an innovative method for producing protein-based microgel particles. The achievement, led by Dr. Louis Khoury and PhD student Tina Khirallah, was recently published in the prestigious scientific journalי Advanced Materials. The method developed by the Technion researchers has many advantages including efficiency, speed, simplicity of production and the possibility of using small sizes such as proteins and biological molecules. These advantages make it a cost-effective alternative to existing methods, which may bring about a dramatic improvement in many fields including medicines, biological sensors, food, tissue engineering and environmental sciences.
Microgels, particles belonging to the family of soft materials, arouse great interest in a wide variety of fields including biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, environmental engineering and culinary. However, the existing techniques for their production face many challenges such as controlling and controlling the size of the particles, expanding production to large quantities, the need for advanced equipment, compatibility with biological materials and the market's demand for competitive prices.
The team of researchers developed a simple and effective method for producing microgel particles. According to the researchers, "Our method was developed inspired by processes such as espresso preparation and oil production, which are based on the creation of an emulsion (emulsion) from two insoluble phases within a 3D porous structure."
Essential particles that can also function as biological sensors
In the published article, the researchers present the possibility of controlling the uniformity of the particles and their size by changing the flow speed of the two phases within the porous medium and by controlling the ratio between them. The researchers focused on the production of protein-based functional particles and managed to maintain the necessary protein structure. Furthermore, the particles responded to various external stimuli. These particles can also function as biological sensors to detect the hydrogen peroxide molecule (H2O2) in different concentrations. These molecules can damage DNA, damage other cellular structures and can even cause cell death, hence the importance of their detection.
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