School of Engineering News
New Engineering Research Advances Rapid Testing for Liver Disease
Researchers from the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick have contributed to a newly published study that advances the development of next-generation biosensors for liver health diagnostics.
The article, published in the journal Micromachines, presents a detailed comparison of two enzyme-based amperometric biosensor designs for detecting alanine aminotransferase (ALT) a key clinical biomarker used worldwide to assess liver function and diagnose liver injury. The research was co-authored by Dr Viktoriya Pyeshkova, from the School of Engineering, alongside international collaborators.
ALT testing is a cornerstone of liver disease diagnosis, but conventional laboratory methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to deploy outside specialist settings. The study evaluates two alternative biosensor strategies, identifying important trade-offs between sensitivity, robustness, cost, and adaptability for real biological samples. The findings provide practical guidance for designing biosensors suitable for point-of-care diagnostics, where fast and reliable results are critical.
By directly comparing the two biosensor approaches under identical conditions, the research offers valuable insights for both academic researchers and industry developers working on portable and scalable diagnostic technologies.
This work highlights the School of Engineering’s strength in biomedical engineering and translational research, addressing real-world healthcare challenges through innovative engineering solutions.
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