A team of researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut has created an innovative nanoscale electrochemical biosensor capable of detecting sepsis rapidly and affordably. The compact point‑of‑care device identifies endotoxin-a biomarker from Gram‑negative bacteria-directly in blood serum samples within approximately 10 minutes.
Designed to be both low-cost and highly sensitive, the team experimented with eight sensor designs-seven using electrochemical detection and one employing optical methods. Two electrochemical platforms proved especially effective, detecting E. coli in water samples with precision comparable to conventional biological methods. The prototypes demonstrated low interference from other compounds and delivered endotoxin recovery with under 2% error in tests involving pharmaceuticals, juices, and whole blood.
This breakthrough offers a major leap over traditional diagnostics, which often require lab facilities and take hours or days to return results. By providing results in minutes and at a fraction of the cost, the sensor holds the potential to save lives through early treatment intervention and broaden access to sepsis diagnostics in remote or resource-limited locations.
The technology, published in Langmuir and led by Professor N. Sandhyarani, shows immense promise for clinical deployment. It could greatly improve outcomes in sepsis cases by enabling fast therapeutic decisions and reducing mortality linked to delayed diagnosis.