Guwahati researchers develop eco-friendly and cost-effective optical sensing platform for cholesterol detection

A team of interdisciplinary researchers at Guwahati's Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), has developed an optical sensing platform for cholesterol detection. 

This highly sensitive, eco-friendly and cost-effective optical sensing platform is based on silk fibre functionalised using phosphorene quantum dots.

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According to the Ministry of Science & Technology, this platform can help identify early symptoms of diseases like atherosclerosis, venous thrombosis, cardiovascular diseases, heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and cancer.

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The project is led by Prof Neelotpal Sen Sarma, a retired Professor, Dr. Asis Bala, an Associate Professor and Nasrin Sultana, a DST INSPIRE Senior Research Fellow. They incorporated the material – the silk fibre, into a cellulose nitrate membrane to create an electrical sensing platform for cholesterol detection. The work was published in the 'Nanoscale' Journal, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

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Cholesterol is an essential lipid in humans, produced by the liver. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein), often referred to as 'bad' cholesterol. This is because LDL can accumulate in the walls of arteries and contribute to severe diseases. The other kind of cholesterol is HDL (high-density lipoprotein) also known as 'good' cholesterol. However, maintaining a balance in cholesterol levels is crucial.

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