AI Disease Detection Breakthrough: NYU Engineers Develop Diagnostic Microchip Technology

Amidst increasing global health challenges—from rapidly spreading viruses to chronic illnesses and drug-resistant bacteria—the demand for rapid, reliable, and user-friendly home diagnostic tests is paramount. Envision a future where such tests are accessible to everyone, everywhere, using a device as portable as a smartwatch. This vision hinges on the development of microchips capable of detecting trace amounts of viruses or bacteria in the air.

Now, new research from NYU Tandon faculty including Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Davood Shahrjerdi; Herman F. Mark Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Elisa Riedo; and Giuseppe de Peppo, Industry Associate Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and who was previously at Mirimus, shows it’s possible to develop and build microchips that can not only identify multiple diseases from a single cough or air sample, but can also be produced at scale.

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“This study opens new horizons in the field of biosensing. Microchips, the backbone of smartphones, computers, and other smart devices, have transformed the way people communicate, entertain, and work. Similarly, today, our technology will allow microchips to revolutionize healthcare, from medical diagnostics, to environmental health” says Riedo,

“The innovative technology demonstrated in this article uses field-effect transistors (FETs) — miniature electronic sensors that directly detect biological markers and convert them into digital signals — offering an alternative to traditional color-based chemical diagnostic tests like home pregnancy tests,” said Shahrjerdi. “This advanced approach enables faster results, testing for multiple diseases simultaneously, and immediate data transmission to healthcare providers” says Sharjerdi, who is also the Director of the NYU Nanofabrication Cleanroom, a state-of-the-art facility where some of the chips used in this study were fabricated. Riedo and Shahrjerdi are also the co-directors of the NYU NanoBioX initiative.

Field-effect transistors (FETs), fundamental components of modern electronics, are proving to be valuable tools in the development of diagnostic devices. These miniature devices can be modified to act as biosensors, enabling real-time detection of specific pathogens or biomarkers without the need for chemical labels or lengthy lab procedures. By translating biological interactions into quantifiable electrical signals, FET-based biosensors offer a rapid and adaptable diagnostic platform. Recent advances, incorporating nanomaterials like nanowires, indium oxide, and graphene, have enhanced their detection capabilities to incredibly low concentrations—down to femtomolar levels (one quadrillionth of a mole).

However, a key limitation remains: the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens or biomarkers on a single chip. Current customization methods, such as drop-casting bioreceptors like antibodies onto the FET surface, lack the precision and scalability necessary for more complex diagnostic applications.

To address this, these researchers are exploring new ways to modify FET surfaces, allowing each transistor on a chip to be tailored to detect a different biomarker. This would enable parallel detection of multiple pathogens.