An Optical Biosensing Platform for Simultaneous Detection and Quantification of Exosomes and Exosomal Cargo Biomarkers

Sponsor: National Science Foundation & Czech Science Foundation

Principal investigator: prof. Ing. Jiří Homola, Ph.D., DSc.

From: 2023-10-01

To: 2026-09-31

This international research project is focused on the development of new analytical methods based on optical biosensors and their use for the analysis of exosomes and the biomolecules contained in them. Exosomes are miniature membrane vesicles of endocytic origin secreted by cells into the external environment. Exosomes contain various proteins or nucleic acids (for example, short sections of RNA, so-called microRNA), which can serve as biomarkers of diseases (e.g. neurodegenerative or cancer). The levels of these molecular biomarkers are extremely low, and their detection is, therefore a challenge for current analytical methods. It is assumed that new analytical methods will allow us not only to improve the diagnosis of diseases but also to deepen our knowledge of molecular processes that are related to the origin and development of diseasess.