Novel screening platform for highly muliplexed biomarker analysis
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To date, most diagnostic tests rely upon the detection of a limited number of biomarkers. This often results in a lack of specificity to provide enough clinically useful detail on the pathology. To overcome this challenge, we developed a new strategy, which combines nanopore sequencing1,2 with barcoded nucleic acid probes, engineered to recognise a panel of biological targets (miRNAs, proteins, and small molecules). Our workflow is rapid, from sample preparation to results in 1 hour. The established method is easily adaptable, as the number and type of targets can be greatly expanded. Preliminary results indicate a significant advantage over existing techniques, which makes us believe that this approach could have an extensive impact on diagnostics and facilitate the transition to personalised medicine3.