Biosensors are provided for the detection of pathogens such as viruses. The sensors can includes a substrate, and a film disposed on the substrate. The film can include an electrically-conducting polymer, and an aromatic dialdehyde such as terephthaldehyde. The sensors experience a fast and repeatable decrease in electrical conductivity in the presence of certain pathogens, including the SARS-Cov-2 pseudo virus.

A drug screening platform simulating hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy including a dielectrophoresis system, a microfluidic chip and a heating system is disclosed. The dielectrophoresis system is used to provide a dielectrophoresis force. The microfluidic chip includes a cell culture array and observation module and a drug mixing module. The cell culture array and observation module are used to arrange the cells into a three-dimensional structure through the dielectrophoresis force to construct a three-dimensional tumor microenvironment. The drug mixing module is coupled to the cell culture array and observation module and used to automatically split and mix the inputted drugs and output the drug combinations into the cell culture array and observation module. The heating system is used for real-time temperature sensing and heating control of the drug combinations on the microfluidic chip to simulate high-temperature drug environment when performing hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy on the three-dimensional tumor microenvironment.

A DNA sequencing device, and related methods, include a nanopore or nanochannel structure, and a nanoelectrode. The nanoelectrode includes electrode members having free ends exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel structure, an electrode gap defined between of the free ends, and plated portions formed on the free ends to provide a reduced sized for the electrode gap.

A sensor device for use in sensing a change in a concentration of micro-organisms, comprises a waveguide interferometer having a sensing arm and a reference arm, a microfluidic channel for a fluid containing the micro-organisms, and a trapping arrangement in the microfluidic channel for physically trapping the micro-organisms when the fluid flows along the microfluidic channel so as to concentrate the micro-organisms in a sensing region of the microfluidic channel. The sensing arm is configured to guide sensing light, the reference arm is configured to guide reference light, and the waveguide interferometer is configured to interfere the sensing light with the reference light. The waveguide interferometer and the microfluidic channel are configured to allow the sensing light to interact with the fluid and the micro-organisms in the sensing region of the microfluidic channel.

Examples of the disclosure relate to an apparatus for analysing fluid samples. The apparatus is sized and shaped so that it can fit into an input port of an electronic device. The input port could be an existing port of the electronic device such as an input port for a memory card or a charger. The electronic device can be configured with a heat transfer means so that, when the apparatus is inserted into the electronic device, heat from the electronic device can be used to control the temperature of a fluid sample within the apparatus. This can enable the reaction conditions within the apparatus to be controlled.

A nucleic acid testing device includes: a stage on which is placed a tissue section to which a solution has been added, in which the solution contains a labeling substance of a target nucleic acid and an amplification reagent for the target nucleic acid; a temperature adjuster that adjusts the temperature of the tissue section on the stage; a temperature controller that controls the temperature adjuster to advance nucleic acid amplification reaction in the tissue section; an intensity detector that detects label intensity in the tissue section over time; and a storage unit that stores detection information generated by the intensity detector.

Engineered nanoscale multicomponent particles are introduced and are called “quants.” Methods and apparatuses for producing such multicomponent nanoparticles are provided. A single quant can be manufactured to contain a variety of different internal component molecules. Likewise, a plurality of such quants may be manufactured wherein the plurality of quants are suspended in an aqueous solution. Typically, quants are produced in quantity and concentration adequate to support human scale therapeutics. In some embodiments, millions or billions of quants are suspended in a volume of aqueous solution for delivery to a patient. When manufactured to the same specification, the plurality of quants are uniform in size, uniform in chemical composition, and therefore uniform in functionality. Functional uniformity is an essential aspect of quants, manifested in design and production. By controlling the variables of manufacture, such as particle size and composition, and by redefining a drug dose as the measured number of quants delivered (as opposed to measuring a drug dose by the mass of its active ingredient), the performance of these nanoparticle-based drugs introduce significant efficiencies and much higher value products to the expanding therapeutics market.

A dielectrophoretic detection device including a chip, with a flow channel having at least one inlet and one outlet, and at least a detection area configured to detect analytes trapped on functionalised beads flowing within the flow channel, first and second electrode assemblies shaped as rows of parallel pillars extending a the height of the flow channel, and configured to generate under electric tension an electric field to form an electrical barrier, and preventing the beads to cross the barrier and drawing the beads to the detection area by dielectrophoretic forces where they are clustered and concentrated. The device may be provided with multiple rows of parallel pillars of electrode assemblies extending over the height of the flow channel, forming multiple concentration lines. The flow channel may be provided with further rows of parallel pillars of electrode assemblies crossing the flow channel in a transverse direction, forming further incubation lines.

There is disclosed a nanopore support structure comprising a wall layer comprising walls defining a plurality of wells, and overhangs extending from the walls across each of the wells, the overhang defining an aperture configured to support a membrane suitable for insertion of a nanopore. There is further disclosed a nanopore sensing device comprising a nanopore support structure, and methods of manufacturing the nanopore support structure and the nanopore sensing device.

The present invention describes an integrated apparatus that enables identification of migratory cells directly from a specimen. The apparatus only requires a small number of cells to perform an assay and includes novel topographic features which can reliably differentiate between migratory and non-migratory cell populations in a sample. Both the spontaneous and chemotactic migration of cancer cells may be measured to distinguish between subpopulations within a tumor sample. The migratory cells identified using the apparatus and methods of the present invention may be separated and further analyzed to distinguish factors promoting metastasis within the population. Cells in the apparatus can be treated with chemotherapeutic or other agents to determine drug strategies to most strongly inhibit migration. The use of optically transparent materials in some embodiments allows a wide range of imaging techniques to be used for in situ imaging of migratory and non-migratory cells in the apparatus. The apparatus and methods of the present invention are useful for predicting the metastatic propensity of tumor cells and selecting optimal drugs for personalized therapies.