(Press-News.org) A research team led by Dr. Ho Sang Jung of the Department of Nano-Bio Convergence at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, in collaboration with the KOTITI Testing & Research Institute, has developed the world's first technology to rapidly and highly sensitively detect microplastics(MPs) in the field, which are well known to cause human and genetic toxicity through environmental pollution and the food chain.
The on-site applicable MPs detection technology developed by the research team is a kit-type. When filtered through a syringe filter-type MP detection kit, the type, number, and distribution of MPs can be identified within 20 minutes without any pre-treatment. The research team focused on the fact that MPs can be filtered out. The team synthesized a plasmonic material in the form of a nanopocket that can capture MPs on the surface of a paper filter with microscale pores and amplify the optical signal of the captured MPs. When a sample solution containing MPs is injected through a syringe, the Raman spectral signal of the MPs is amplified on the nanopocket-type plasmonic material, enabling highly sensitive detection. The technology can also be used to detect MPs at the nanometer scale.
In addition, the research team pre-trained an artificial intelligence (AI) system on the unique Raman spectroscopy signals of MPs, so that the artificial intelligence(AI) can determine whether the detected signal corresponds to MPs, even if there are interfering elements in the sample. This technology makes it possible to accurately identify only MPs even in complex environments or human samples, as well as their concentration, distribution, and type.
Existing technologies for detecting MPs have been difficult to use in the field. This is because it requires complex pre-treatment, high-performance equipment, and analysis by skilled researchers. This technology replaces the pre-treatment process in the form of a filter and improves the sensitivity of the material, rather than increasing the performance of the equipment. In addition, the biggest differentiator is that the analytical skills of skilled researchers have been replaced by machine learning. Also, The detection device has the advantage of using a portable Raman spectrometer, which increases the possibility of on-site detection.
At present, questions continue to arise about the environmental pollution and human risk related to MPs at home and abroad. It has been reported that MPs are easily released from our everyday products such as beverage containers and snack bags. However, to date, there is no method to detect small MPs of micro or nano size, so there is a need to develop technology to establish an international standard detection method. Since this could lead to future regulations on plastic products and food and beverage containers, it is meaningful that we have developed technology to preemptively overcome import and export regulations due to future environmental problems through the development of source technology. Another advantage of this technology is that the general public can easily use it when necessary since the sensor is made as a kit.
Dr. Ho Sang Jung, a senior researcher at KIMS who developed this technology said, “If this technology is commercialized, the technology for detecting MPs universally will be more easily and rapidly disseminated”and“Based on this, KIMS will continue to spare no effort in developing material technologies for the safety of the people and future generations,”he added.
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT through the KIMS Basic Project. The research results were published on 10 September in Advanced Functional Materials (IF: 19, JCR < 5%), a world-renowned academic journal in the field of materials. The research team plans to collaborate with the KOTITI Testing & Research Institute to standardize MPs detection technology in the future. Meanwhile, the research team is currently conducting follow-up research to detect MPs by size and evaluate their toxicity to the human body.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
###
About Korea Institute of Materials Science(KIMS)
KIMS is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea. As the only institute specializing in comprehensive materials technologies in Korea, KIMS has contributed to Korean industry by carrying out a wide range of activities related to materials science including R&D, inspection, testing&evaluation, and technology support.
END
Detecting microplastics(MPs) with light!!
Development of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) and machine learning based methods for on-site applicable, facile, and rapid detection of MPs
2023-10-05
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Comfort with a smaller carbon footprint
2023-10-05
Osaka, Japan – As organizations work to reduce their energy consumption and associated carbon emissions, one area that remains to be optimized is indoor heating and cooling. In fact, HVAC – which stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning – represents, on average, about 40% of a building’s total energy use. Methods that conserve electricity while still providing a comfortable indoor environment for workers could make a significant difference in the fight against climate change.
Now, researchers from Osaka University have demonstrated significant energy savings through the application of a new, AI-driven algorithm ...
Study shows enhanced pandemic-related infection prevention and control practices reduced incidence of healthcare-associated infections
2023-10-05
A new study conducted by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that enhanced infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a significant decrease in many healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and a reduction in respiratory viral infections (RVIs). The findings, published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), provide some of the first evidence that strict pandemic-related IPC interventions reduced HAI rates among vulnerable patient populations.
“Previous, large-scale ...
New study reveals Australian Long COVID response lagging
2023-10-05
New research by RMIT University and Northern Health has examined Australia’s Long COVID services, guidelines and public health information, compared with international standards.
The researchers found Australia lacking in several categories, including early investigation, accessibility and availability of trustworthy public health information, and adequate multidisciplinary Long COVID services to meet demand.
Dean of RMIT’s School of Health and Biomedical Sciences and co-author on the paper, Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, warned that this problem will only worsen over time.
“Long ...
Vaccine via the nasal passage could be the new line of defence against Strep A
2023-10-05
As Streptococcus A cases continue to be prevalent in Queensland and internationally, a new nasal vaccine could provide long-term protection from the deadly bacteria.
Associate Professor Manisha Pandey, Professor Michael Good, and their team from Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, are leading the development of a Strep A vaccine which is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials in Canada and quickly advancing to Phase 2 efficacy trials.
The team’s new preclinical research, recently published in Nature Communications, shows an experimental liposome-based vaccine approach incorporating a conserved M-protein epitope from Strep A and an immunostimulatory glycolipid (3D(6-acyl) ...
Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio identifies possible markers for early metastatic lung cancer
2023-10-05
SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 5, 2023 – Researchers at Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) have identified protein markers that could signal for early development of metastatic lung cancer, providing possibilities for new treatment.
The findings already have led to a five-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health that will pave the way for a clinical trial next year for patients with advanced lung cancer. The research is detailed in a new article in Cell Reports, ...
WHO director praises London’s ULEZ expansion as politically courageous
2023-10-05
London mayor Sadiq Khan’s efforts to expand the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) as part of a push to reduce air pollution and improve health, is politically courageous and an example for mayors around the world, says the World Health Organization’s environment, climate change and health director, Maria Neira.
In an exclusive interview for The BMJ’s climate issue, Neira says she is tired of listening to politicians speak on climate change as if they didn't have the power to ...
Software can detect hidden and complex emotions in parents
2023-10-05
Researchers have conducted trials using a software capable of detecting intricate details of emotions that remain hidden to the human eye.
The software, which uses an ‘artificial net’ to map key features of the face, can evaluate the intensities of multiple different facial expressions simultaneously.
The University of Bristol and Manchester Metropolitan University team worked with Bristol’s Children of the 90s study participants to see how well computational methods could capture authentic human emotions amidst everyday ...
$2 million grant boosts technological advancements in cutting-edge cell therapy manufacturing facility
2023-10-05
The Keck School of Medicine of USC has received $2 million from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to further augment its newly launched cGMP Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility designed to advance early-stage research into clinically viable cell and gene therapies. To expedite the translation of these therapies from the lab to the clinic, the facility needs advanced technological know-how, streamlined operations and strict protocols for developing and testing these products, all of which ...
Texas Children’s Bariatric Surgery Program receives prestigious national accreditation
2023-10-05
HOUSTON (October 4, 2023) – Texas Children’s Hospital is proud to announce that its Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program has received national accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).
Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands is the only Bariatric Surgery Center in the state of Texas that serves to an adolescent-only patient population with a multidisciplinary clinical staff who is certified to meet the surgical, medical and psychological needs of ...
Two-dimensional compounds can capture carbon from the air
2023-10-05
Some of the thinnest materials known to mankind may provide solutions to scientists in their quest to curb the effects of global warming.
Known as MXene and MBene compounds, these substances are only a few atoms thick, making them two-dimensional. Because of their large surface area, the materials have the potential to absorb carbon dioxide molecules from the atmosphere, which could help reduce the harmful effects of climate change by safely sequestering carbon dioxide.
In a paper published Oct. 4 in the journal Chem, UC Riverside professor Mihri Ozkan and her co-authors explain the potential of MXenes and MBenes in carbon capture technologies.
“In this review, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Optical biosensor rapidly detects monkeypox virus
New drug targets for Alzheimer’s identified from cerebrospinal fluid
Neuro-oncology experts reveal how to use AI to improve brain cancer diagnosis, monitoring, treatment
Argonne to explore novel ways to fight cancer and transform vaccine discovery with over $21 million from ARPA-H
Firefighters exposed to chemicals linked with breast cancer
Addressing the rural mental health crisis via telehealth
Standardized autism screening during pediatric well visits identified more, younger children with high likelihood for autism diagnosis
Researchers shed light on skin tone bias in breast cancer imaging
Study finds humidity diminishes daytime cooling gains in urban green spaces
Tennessee RiverLine secures $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission Grant for river experience planning and design standards
AI tool ‘sees’ cancer gene signatures in biopsy images
Answer ALS releases world's largest ALS patient-based iPSC and bio data repository
2024 Joseph A. Johnson Award Goes to Johns Hopkins University Assistant Professor Danielle Speller
Slow editing of protein blueprints leads to cell death
Industrial air pollution triggers ice formation in clouds, reducing cloud cover and boosting snowfall
Emerging alternatives to reduce animal testing show promise
Presenting Evo – a model for decoding and designing genetic sequences
Global plastic waste set to double by 2050, but new study offers blueprint for significant reductions
Industrial snow: Factories trigger local snowfall by freezing clouds
Backyard birds learn from their new neighbors when moving house
New study in Science finds that just four global policies could eliminate more than 90% of plastic waste and 30% of linked carbon emissions by 2050
Breakthrough in capturing 'hot' CO2 from industrial exhaust
New discovery enables gene therapy for muscular dystrophies, other disorders
Anti-anxiety and hallucination-like effects of psychedelics mediated by distinct neural circuits
How do microbiomes influence the study of life?
Plant roots change their growth pattern during ‘puberty’
Study outlines key role of national and EU policy to control emissions from German hydrogen economy
Beloved Disney classics convey an idealized image of fatherhood
Sensitive ceramics for soft robotics
Trends in hospitalizations and liver transplants associated with alcohol-induced liver disease
[Press-News.org] Detecting microplastics(MPs) with light!!Development of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) and machine learning based methods for on-site applicable, facile, and rapid detection of MPs