- You don’t have to wait to get sick to be tested.
- But you can test every day, for everything, everywhere.
- It has submitted research for peer review in a scientific journal.
- Mola said molecular microchips could be used for all kinds of medical applications, but the first commercial market the company is targeting surrounds drug discovery.
A San Diego biotech firm has developed the world’s first molecular microchip: a semiconductor chip the size of a fingernail that can grasp and read a single molecule as reported by 10 News.
Decoding DNA
According to Paul Mola, founder and CEO of Roswell Biotechnologies, the technique could revolutionise how we detect diseases, produce treatments, and monitor our health.
“At Roswell, we’re trying to digitise biology,” he explained. “To provide near-real-time access to biological data to help us make better decisions about our health.”
Microchips are found in practically every electronic item we use, including phones, computers, smart gadgets, automobiles, and appliances.
Testing technology
A semiconductor chip with 16,000 sensors was unveiled by the Sorrento Valley-based business. Each one can attach to a single molecule, such as a viral protein or a DNA-decoding enzyme. The chip can read the molecule by minuscule changes in electrical current once it is attached.
If you put a little saliva directly on the chip, you could conduct diagnostic tests for COVID, the flu, and thousands of other infections all at once, all from a home device, according to Mola.
He explained, “We want to shift testing away from the clinic, closer to the community, and eventually into the home.” “You do not need to wait until you become ill to be checked.” “You can, however, test every day, for anything, and anywhere. And that is how we will prevent future pandemics.”
That’s a long way off, and Mola recognises that it sounds too wonderful to be true. All-in-one testing technology was formerly touted by a firm called Theranos. Its CEO is currently facing charges.
Roswell, on the other hand, has the support of Harvard, UCLA, and UC San Diego experts. It has submitted research to a scientific journal for peer evaluation. Even the firm name implies that the concepts are a little out of this world.
Strange & exotic
“When we first began the firm and started explaining the technology to people, everyone was like, ‘What??’ That sounds strange and exotic to me.’ “All we did was tell them, ‘Hey, the technology originated from the aliens, and our firm is called Roswell,” Mola explained.
Mola stated that molecular microchips might be utilised for a variety of medical purposes, but the company’s first commercial market is drug development. Roswell hopes to begin selling chips to drugmakers next year, providing them with fresh molecular insights into their investigational treatments.
“This will not only speed up but also improve the quality of our medication discovery,” added Mola.
The company then intends to employ its chips to improve DNA sequencing.
“What we’re attempting to achieve is a technology that allows everyone to have their own genome as a medical record,” he explained.
Mola believes that molecular microchips might substantially reduce the cost of whole-genome sequencing while also speeding up the procedure, ushering in a new era of precision medicines tailored to each person’s DNA.
The company now employs roughly 50 people, but Mola stated that they intend to quadruple its staff in the near future.
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Source: 10 News
