Student's research could lead to new sensor technology

Student's research could lead to new sensor technology

Research published by a UWindsor doctoral candidate in biochemistry could lay the groundwork for new technology with applications in everything from early detection of cancer to sensing dangerous chemicals in enclosed areas.

Suzie Durocher’s work involves detecting thiols—volatile, sulphur-containing organic compounds that can be found everywhere in nature. Thiols have high and low molecular weights; in human blood, it’s essential to maintain a balance between them to regulate circulatory and respiratory functions.

Durocher was the lead author on a paper recently published in the Journal of American Chemical Society called "Disulfide-Linked, Gold Nanoparticle Based Reagent for Detecting Small Molecular Weight Thiols." The paper was co-authored with UWindsor professors Bulent Mutus and Chitra Rangan, Caroline Hamm of the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, and Silvia Mittler and Asad Rezaee from the University of Western Ontario.

The paper outlines a process that could be used to develop a sensor to test for toxic or smaller weight thiols, which are more abundant and have finer control over many human functions.

It’s intellectual property that could be adapted in a variety of settings to test for the presence of toxic thiols, Dr. Mutus said. Petro-chemical workers, for instance, could wear badges on their uniforms that can change colour to indicate the presence of dangerous chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide in the air. It could also be used to develop a sensor that detects health problems like cancer based on thiol content in blood samples.

Durocher’s academic advisors raved about the quality of her work.

"She’s so good that Dr. Mittler will often send her students over here to learn from Suzie," Mutus said.

"It’s amazing that student could be a first author in this journal," said Rangan. "The quality of the data is excellent."