Anirudh Mohan

Synthesis and Characterization of Biomarker-Harvesting Hydrogel Nanoparticles

Anirudh Mohan

Clifton, VA
Freshman - Duke University

The medical industry relies heavily on differential diagnosis to detect various diseases, which can be costly and can have the potential for large error deviations associated with each individual test. The use of synthesis and characterization of biomarker-harvesting hydrogel nanoparticles seeks to develop an alternative diagnostic strategy using nanotechnology. The approach is to synthesize nanoparticles to detect and harvest biomarkers (low abundance proteins whose presence is indicative of a disease state) from human biological fluids. This research suggests that these particles are highly effective in capturing lightweight proteins and possess ideal properties to eventually be viable in disease diagnosis. Biomarkers are molecules, generally proteins, whose presence indicates a particular biological state in a cell. Every abnormal process which occurs in a cell, including those associated with a disease, results in the production of unique biomarkers. As such, biomarkers serve as rich sources of information that can prove valuable in not only determining the particular disease afflicting an individual, but also the disease's progression. If biomarkers can be collected and analyzed near the onset of a disease, the likelihood of developing a successful treatment increases dramatically. Hydrogels are one of the most suitable types of compounds that can be used to construct a particle to harvest biomarkers.

Comic Art - Anirudh Mohan