Laboratory of biofunctional materials

HTTK toob kokku juhtivad psüühika, keha, sotsiaalse konteksti ja ruumilise konteksti uurijad, et luua distsipliinide ülene arusaam komplekssüsteemidest, mis mõjutavad heaolu: elu kvaliteeti erinevates valdkondades objektiivses ja eriti subjektiivses mõttes. Me käsitleme 4 uurimisvaldkonda. 1) KORRELAADID: Millised bio-psühholoogilised ja sotsiaal-ruumilised omadused on seotud heaolu püsivamate komponentidega nagu eluga rahulolu? 2) MEHHANISMID: Kuidas rulluvad inimestes lahti heaolu dünaamilised komponendid, näiteks emotsioonid? 3) ENESEHOOL: Kuidas inimesed ise oma heaolu enesehoole ökosüsteemides mõistavad ja juhivad? 4) SEKKUMISED: Kuidas heaolu isikustatud ja kohandatud sekkumistega edendada? HTTK rahastab interdistsiplinaarseid ametikohti; registriandmetega lõimitud longituud-uuring; doktorikooli; tippsündmusi; ja rändluse ja koostöö toetusmeedet. HTTK tõstab osalevate rühmade, asutuste ja Eesti heaoluteaduste tulemuslikkust ja mõjukust.

The project aims to revolutionise biosensors and point-of-care testing devices by developing sensor arrays using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) as biomimetic receptors for multiplex and/or simultaneous detection of targets that are of significant interest to clinical and environmental health. MIPs offer several advantages over traditional biological recognition elements in being more stable, cost-effective, and reproducible, making them ideal for low-cost and fast recognition of clinically relevant biomarkers and environmental pollutants in complex matrices. We will develop novel synthesis approaches for MIP-based sensor arrays that are affordable and scalable, allowing for the production of large quantities of sensors at low cost. Our innovative approach has the potential to establish a new generation of analytical tools that will significantly improve public health and safety, particularly in critical industries such as healthcare and environmental monitoring.

Synthetic receptors known as Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) were engineered and combined with various sensing platforms to create fast and cost-effective analytical tools applicable for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. These MIPs were targeted towards clinically relevant proteins as well as emerging environmental pollutants such as antibiotics, and then integrated with piezoelectric or electrochemical portable transducers to create sensors capable of detecting the specified analytes. The resulting MIP-based sensors demonstrated the capability to quantitatively detect analytes within relevant concentration ranges, with rapid responses occurring within 15-20 minutes. Notable successes included the detection of neurotrophic factor proteins (BDNF and CDNF) as potential biomarkers of neurological disorders, as well as viral proteins (HCV-E2, N and S1 of SARS-CoV-2) for diagnosing hepatitis C and COVID-19. Additionally, the ability to detect antibiotics, including sulfamethizole and macrolides, in water at nanomolar concentrations was demonstrated. One of the most notable achievements was the development of prototype sensors for rapid detection of coronavirus antigens from patient samples. These sensors outperformed commercially available lateral-flow immunochromatography-based SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests in terms of their ability to determine the concentration of the virus proteins in the sample, as well as a noticeably lower detection limit, which potentially allows the detection of infection at an earlier stage. Potentially, MIP layer in these sensors can be quickly adapted to detect virtually any pathogen, thereby contributing to the development of rapid diagnostic tests to address new pandemics. Thus, the outcome of the project contributes significantly to the fabrication of affordable, precise, and rapid sensors suitable for point-of-care (PoCT) and infield applications, offering an alternative to expensive and labor-intensive methods.