Development of nanostructured biosensors for the diagnosis of mental disorders biomarkers

• Grant number: 23/09685-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Support Program for Fixating Young Doctors
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Agreement: CNPq
• Principal Investigator: Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior
• Grantee: Paulo Augusto Raymundo Pereira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/00850-6 - Development of nanostructured biosensors for the diagnosis of mental disorders biomarkers, AP.R

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD), or simply depression, is a serious disorder that affects approximately 17% of the world's population at some point in live, resulting in major social and economic consequences. MDD is a disorder that manifests with symptoms at the psychological, behavioral and physiological levels caused by interactions between a genetic predisposition and some environmental factors. According to the World Health Organization, depression affects 280 million people worldwide and more than 700,000 people die by suicide every year, making it the fourth leading cause of death in young people aged 15 to 29. The most important problem is the lack of tools for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of mental disorders. This project proposes the development of nanostructured biosensors for rapid and intelligent detection of the depression biomarker BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in non-invasive saliva samples. The biosensors will be based on antibodies with electrochemical transduction in which nanostructured films will be used as a matrix for the immobilization of biomolecules and thus improve the analytical performance. The analytical features of the biosensors will be evaluated using the standard solution of the biomarker BDNF in buffer solution and saliva. Due to features such as low detection limit, analysis time, miniaturization and portability of the instrument, combined with ease of use and non-invasive sampling, this analytical tool has potential for detecting the depression biomarker BDNF in saliva. This project is expected to provide interesting tools for new reliable sensory platforms for point-of-care diagnostic devices for depression prevention and control using biomarkers.

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TEIXEIRA, SAMIRIS COCCO; GOMES, NATHALIA O.; CALEGARO, MARCELO L.; MACHADO, SERGIO A. S.; DE OLIVEIRA, TAILA VELOSO; SOARES, NILDA DE FATIMA FERREIRA; RAYMUNDO-PEREIRA, PAULO A.. Sustainable plant-wearable sensors for on-site, rapid decentralized detection of pesticides toward precision agriculture and food safety. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES, v. 155, p. 10-pg., 2023-11-08. (16/01919-6, 23/09685-8, 20/09587-8, 23/07686-7, 22/02164-0)

TEIXEIRA, SAMIRIS COCCO; DE OLIVEIRA, TAILA VELOSO; SOARES, NILDA DE FATIMA FERREIRA; RAYMUNDO-PEREIRA, PAULO A.. Sustainable and biodegradable polymer packaging: Perspectives, challenges, and opportunities. Food Chemistry, v. 470, p. 15-pg., 2025-01-08. (22/02164-0, 23/09685-8)

GOMES, NATHALIA O.; CALEGARO, MARCELO L.; MATTOSO, LUIZ HENRIQUE C.; OLIVEIRA, OSVALDO N.; MACHADO, SERGIO A. S.; RAYMUNDO-PEREIRA, PAULO A.. Carbon Spherical Shells Functionalized with Nitrogen as Sustainable Electrochemical Materials for Rapid Detection of Diclofenac in Saliva, Urine, Water, and Tablets. ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS, v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2024-12-02. (23/09685-8, 16/01919-6, 20/09587-8, 23/08858-6, 23/07686-7, 22/02164-0, 18/22214-6)

MARTONI, LUCAS V. L.; GOMES, NATHALIA O.; OLIVEIRA JR, OSVALDO N.; MACHADO, SERGIO A. S.; RAYMUNDO-PEREIRA, PAULO A.. Low-cost photoelectrochemical sensor sensitized with carbon spherical shells and cobalt(II) phthalocyanine for fast acetaminophen determination. Microchemical Journal, v. 197, p. 11-pg., 2023-12-12. (16/01919-6, 23/09685-8, 19/01777-5, 20/09587-8, 23/08858-6, 23/07686-7, 22/02164-0, 18/22214-6)