Unconventional targets and probes
Lead: Atul N. PARIKH
Visiting Professor
Biomedical Engineering, UC Davis
Goal
Beyond the conventional molecular reporters: DNA, RNA, peptide-antibody, aptamers; we seek to target supramolecular collectives. Modern biosensors seek to develop approaches to detect conventional molecular targets as discrete, discriminating reporters of normal and pathological states. But these molecular players – nucleic acids, proteins, sugars, or lipids – seldom act alone in the complex, heterogeneous, and crowded context of cells and their surroundings. Instead, they are organised into supramolecular collectives. Yet, there are few organised efforts we know of to develop sensors designed to identify, detect, and monitor these collectives, which we call unconventional targets.