Researchers from Rice University are using microsponges derived from seaweed to help diagnose heart disease, cancers, HIV and other diseases quickly and at far lower cost than current clinical methods.

The microsponges are an essential component of what are dalled Programmable Bio-Nano-Chips (PBNC).

PBNCs capture biomarkers — molecules that offer information about a person’s health — found in blood, saliva and other bodily fluids. The biomarkers are sequestered in tiny sponges set into an array of inverted pyramid-shaped funnels in the microprocessor heart of the credit card-sized PBNC.

Source

Rice University