Detecting everything from cocaine to cancer, a new sensor created by University chemistry professor Yi Lu could redefine the way we think of home diagnosis. Using a typical off-the-shelf blood glucose meter, Lu’s new device could be a groundbreaking alternative to a trip to the doctor’s office.

Nicknamed “sweet sensor,” the small but powerful home detection device is ten years in the making — and it will become a reality in as little as one to two years. Lu and postdoctoral research associate Yu Xiang have recently published a paper about the inexpensive new technology in Nature Chemistry, a science journal.

“Normally, the glucose monitor only can detect glucose,” Lu said. “It is still true after our technology, but our technology is a front-end.”

What this means is that the sweet sensor converts certain “targets,” or specific substances, into glucose. These targets can include toxic metal ions, viruses, types of bacteria and more. Now, the newly transformed glucose is, in a sense, the target in disguise.

In turn, the glucose meter identifies this altered glucose in blood, saliva, urine or any bodily or non-bodily fluid. This way, in a simple two-step process, the user can easily detect several targets in a variety of substances.

“In this case, we start with sucrose,” suggested Brian Wong, graduate student in Engineering and one of about five members of Lu’s research team. The sweet sensor would then “break down sucrose into glucose. So the (glucose) meter will not detect sucrose, but in … the technology we’re developing, essentially we have a very controlled way of seeing how much sucrose will turn into how much glucose.”

This identification process is brought about with the use of functional DNA. The sweet sensor enables the structural change of the DNA and its reaction with the target. Consequentially, enzymes are released.

“So the more concentrated the solution, the more enzymes would be released,” described Xiang. “The consequence is, the more target in your solution, the more enzymes released, the more glucose produced.”

Lu’s research team has gained support earlier this year from the National Science Foundation’s newly created program, Innovation Corporation, or I-Corps. The purpose of I-Corps is to give financial, technical and business support ($50,000 per project) to a handful of innovative technological or scientific projects. Lu’s sweet sensor was among only 21 of such projects nationwide chosen for proposals and awards in October of this year.

Now, with the backing of NSF and I-Corps, the next steps include research and development in the ease of the product’s usage. Lu is planning on commercializing it and working on the business aspects through Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR.

“We’re thankful to the NSF support,” Lu said. “I’m quite optimistic about (the sweet sensor) being available … The only R and D we need to do is the pre-end part to make it user-friendly, robust, accurate (and) reproducible.”

Ultimately, the three key uses for the pocket-sized affordable sweet sensor would be in the medical, environmental and food safety fields.

While the team is confident that the sweet sensor will be available to the public in one to two years, Xiang also hopes that this will be just the tip of the iceberg for the technology. He hopes that in five to ten years, there will be many more targets to detect and several different applications to encompass.

On top of the research that Lu’s team has been doing, they have also branched out into classrooms in high schools to spark interest there. The team has done class demonstrations and activities to spread the word about the sweet sensor and the University’s research.

“I think it will have a lot of potential for education, for outreach, for getting people interested in science and technology,” Lu explained.

He underscores the fact that being a part of any research team, even as an undergraduate, can give students exciting experiences and opportunities at the University.

Are you wondering if a certain substance is present in your water, blood, or other liquid? In a couple of years, the answer could be in your pocket.