| Aug 30, 2024 |
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(Nanowerk Information) Stress takes numerous shapes in our every day lives, from relentless work calls for to the fixed rush of the varsity run. However ignoring excessive stress ranges can result in critical well being points like melancholy and Alzheimer’s illness.
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So what if checking your stress ranges at house turned the norm? Because of nanoparticles, this risk is drawing nearer.
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In a brand new examine revealed within the journal Talanta (“Iridium oxide-modified reference screen-printed electrodes for point-of-care portable electrochemical cortisol detection,”), a group from China and the UK have produced a brand new and improved detector that may precisely measure ranges of cortisol – a stress biomarker within the blood.
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| A) The analysis group use iridium oxide to coat the reference electrode and make the cortisol detector extra steady and delicate. B) Illustration of the cortisol antibodies used on an Au electrode to create the electrochemical cortisol immunosensor. C) Cortisol detection: Bigger arcs present better concentrations of cortisol. (Picture: XJTLU)
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Tong Ji, a present part-time PhD pupil and a senior technician at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool College (XJTLU), China, is the primary writer of the examine. She says, “A cost-effective, easily reproducible, and easy-to-use point-of-care testing device that accurately measures cortisol levels has long been sought. It could make a huge difference to an appropriate and speedy diagnosis of high cortisol levels, drastically improving people’s lives.”
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The units at the moment out there usually include electrodes which have poor stability in numerous and fluctuating circumstances, akin to altering pH and temperature. This offers the units a brief shelf life and makes them troublesome to provide commercially.
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“Current cortisol detectors have reference electrodes with a silver layer that is easily oxidised and unstable in electrochemical measurements,” says Ji. “In this study, we used iridium oxide nanoparticles to cover the silver layer. This modification improves the stability, sensitivity and reproducibility of cortisol detection in point-of-care devices.”
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Dr Qiuchen Dong, an assistant professor at XJTLU and corresponding writer, provides, “This is the first time iridium oxide has been used in this way. Our team have produced a simple, low-cost cortisol measuring device that detects cortisol molecules at a concentration 3,000 times lower than the normal range of cortisol in our blood. This makes our device sensitive enough for commercial use.”
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The iridium oxide-modified electrodes have additionally improved the selectivity of testing. Dr Graham Dawson, XJTLU Affiliate Professor and co-author, says, “One problem with the current solutions is that there is much similarity between cortisol and other hormones such as progesterone, testosterone, and corticosterone. This means it is difficult for the detectors to tell them apart. Our iridium oxide-modified electrode is selective enough to distinguish the different hormones and helps to solve this issue.”
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