Pioneering technology for early disease detection under development at the University of Oulu

The project brings together five research groups at the University of Oulu, involving nearly 80 researchers. In addition to Professor Elbuken, the principal investigators include Professors Aki Manninen, Seppo Vainio, and Simo Saarakkala, as well as the Assistant Professor Jian-An Huang. The project integrates expertise from diverse fields, including biochemistry, biophysics, optical nanotechnology, microfluidics, and cell biology.

Biosensors play a critical role in healthcare and life sciences, enabling the precise measurement of biomolecules in the body, such as proteins. This precision is vital for early disease detection and for monitoring the effectiveness of treatments.

Currently, biosensors are employed in a range of medical applications, including monitoring blood glucose levels in diabetes management and diagnosing heart diseases by detecting biomarkers indicative of heart attacks. Research is also underway to develop biosensors for the early detection of cancer.

Particularly promising are ultrasensitive biosensors capable of detecting single molecules. However, advancing these technologies requires innovations that achieve higher sensitivity and lower limit of detection based on specific applications, along with integrated data analysis capabilities.

The project team at the University of Oulu aims to develop molecular biosensors capable of identifying and measuring individual biomolecules at the cellular level. By leveraging natural cellular communication mechanisms and utilizing nanosensors, the team aims to create sensors that mimic artificial cells. Additionally, the project focuses on developing an innovative sensor technology based on Raman spectroscopy, which enables the detection of single protein molecules, nanovesicle representations, or their engineered forms, from extremely small sample volumes.

“Our research addresses one of the biggest challenges in biosensing: the label-free detection of single molecules. We are developing ultrasensitive technologies that offer significantly more precise and sensitive analytics than previously possible,” says Professor Caglar Elbuken. “The technologies we are working on have the potential to establish Oulu as a global leader in biosensor technology. The impact of this research could be far-reaching, enhancing healthcare and improving disease diagnostics and treatment worldwide.”

The project's Principal Investigators at the University of Oulu:

Caglar Elbuken holds a joint professorship at the University of Oulu's Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. He also serves as a lead researcher at the Kvantum Institute. His research focuses on micro- and nanosystems, lab-on-a-chip technologies, biosensors, and biomedical diagnostic techniques.

Aki Manninen, Professor of Cell Biology, is the leader of the Disease Networks Research Unit at the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and has extensive experience in molecular cell biology, cell signaling, recombinant viral vectors, and genomic engineering in cells. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which the immediate microenvironment, particularly the extracellular matrix (ECM), regulates epithelial cell behavior.

Jian-An Huang is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in biosensors at the Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, and the Disease Network Research Unit at the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. His research combines nanophotonic nanostructures (nanotube, nanopore, nanopillar) with molecular manipulation methods for single-cell, single-particle and single-molecule biosensing.

Simo Saarakkala, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, is a Head of the Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine. He has extensive experience of developing new data analysis and AI based methods for biomedical and medical diagnostics. His own research focuses specifically on developing innovative solutions for diagnostics and imaging of musculoskeletal disorders.

Seppo Vainio, Professor of Developmental Biology, is a lead researcher and scientific director of the Kvantum Institute (KI) at the University of Oulu. He also leads a research group within the Disease Networks Research Unit at the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. His research focuses on micro- and nanoscale signaling in ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo models, as well as live biosensor engineering and disease modeling.

Next generation molecular sensing (NGSens)

Elbuken Lab: Microfluidics and Biosensor Research Group