Nanocage Sensors

The molecular nanocage concept can verify the purity and authenticity of agricultural products and could detect environmental contaminants

Background:

Increasing globalization and competition has created large economic incentives to commit food fraud by adding adulterants, fillers, or other inauthentic ingredients to agricultural products. Consequently, the worldwide food authenticity testing market is estimated to reach $7.5B by 2022. There is currently no easy and inexpensive way to test agricultural products for small molecule key ingredients, adulterants, or contaminants in the field or along the distribution chain. This nanocage sensor technology aims to fill that gap with a test strip-based method using molecular nanocages that bind specific target analytes that would provide results via an electronic read out or color change detection system.

Technology Overview:

As a proof of concept, the inventors have designed and built a stable hydrazone-based molecular tetrahedron nanocage using “click chemistry” that selectively binds picrocrocin, a main flavor component in authentic saffron. This binding is cooperative and detection is by a fluorescent molecule attached to the nanocage that changes color when picrocrocin is bound in the nanocage, with color intensity correlating to the concentration of picrocrocin. This fluorescing nanocage detection complex will be deposited on a paper test strip making sample analysis simple, lowcost, and accessible in the field, in real time, rather than having to send samples to a lab for analysis. Additionally, an electronic sensing method is being developed.

The inventors anticipate that the molecular nanocage concept can be customized to bind other analytes that can be found in saffron and in other agricultural products to verify purity and authenticity. The concept could also be extended to detecting environmental contaminants, such as PFAS, and specific metabolites in blood samples.

Benefits:

• More stable than other nanocages – robust and stable in water
• Low concentration detection – cooperative binding within the cage makes this possible
• Low-tech – easy for anyone to use
• Versatile/tunable – specific nanocages can be designed to bind and detect specific analytes
• Accessible results – allows real-time, low-cost detection of analytes without requiring a lab

Applications:

• Key analyte, such as picrocrocin in saffron, testing for agriculture products
• Medical analyte test strip testing
• On site testing for PFAS and other environmental contaminants.

Patents:

• US Patent 18/007,639

Seeking:

• Licensing

• Development partner