DEKALB, IL – NIU has been awarded a $380,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance research that could revolutionize diagnostics.
Dr. Irina Nesterova, Associate Professor, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Associate Professor Irina Nesterova, Ph.D., in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, aims to create affordable, accurate, and easy-to-use diagnostic devices that individuals can use at home or in point-of-care settings such as: at the patient bedside or in an environment with limited resources.
“We all know how useful at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests are,” Dr. Nesterova said. “They are extremely helpful and life-saving, and the bottom line is we need more devices like this to be able to manage a variety of health-related situations. It tells us whether a particular virus-associated molecule is present in a human sample. This is extremely valuable information, but it is also important to know how much of the molecular biomarker is present. .”
Nesterova’s research involves the development of advanced diagnostic devices for the quantitative analysis of molecular biomarkers. Molecular biomarkers are molecules that exist in the body and indicate the health status of an organism.
Specifically, the funding will enable NIU researchers to develop devices that not only detect the presence of molecular biomarkers, but also measure their amounts. This information is invaluable for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
“Think about the importance of home blood glucose monitoring in diabetes management,” Dr. Nesterova says. “There are many other situations where accessible quantitative information about biomarkers is important: for monitoring the buildup of immune responses during vaccine development, for evaluating advances in immunotherapy, and for observing changes in antibody levels during infection. I can think about it.”
The device provides a yes/no result by generating bubbles when a molecular biomarker reaches a certain threshold. This simple reading method is accessible to people of all ages and requires no special training or scientific equipment, making it ideal for home use and environments such as underserved and remote communities. is.
The platform could be applied to detecting biomarkers of various infectious diseases and immune responses, said Professor Victor Ryzov, head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
“This topic has far-reaching implications for the development of low-cost diagnostic kits for a variety of diseases, especially in poor countries and remote areas of the world,” he said.
This research is part of a three-year timeline during which Nesterova and her team will work to develop a market-ready solution. Nesterova’s team, currently comprised of six graduate students and six undergraduate students, is excited about future research and ongoing projects in other areas of molecular diagnostics.
Graduate student Elzbieta Ivaniuk, an international student from Poznań, Poland, has been working on the project since its inception four years ago. She plans to graduate with a PhD in chemistry in the spring of 2025.
Her interest in bioanalytical research in chemistry overlapped with Dr. Nesterova’s work.
“We started that particular project from scratch, so it was a great opportunity to establish the foundation for the detection methods we’re working on now,” Iwaniuk said. “Working with Dr. Nesterova has allowed me to grow as a researcher, and I am very grateful for that opportunity.”
5th year of doctoral course. Candidate Ivaniuk recently gave birth to a son, Leonardo.
“It was difficult to balance the demands of the doctoral program, joining the program and being a new mother, but I feel incredibly supported by our department and Dr. Nesterova throughout this journey.” ” she said.
Media Contact: Jami Kunzer
About NIU
Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university that benefits the region and serves the world in a wide range of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health, and law. We have extensive expertise. The Wall Street Journal and Collegenet have recognized NIU as an institution leading in social mobility, or as an institution that helps students climb the socio-economic ladder. NIU offers more than 100 areas of study and serves a diverse, international student body through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and student and adult education centers in Chicago, Naperville, and Rockford. I’m doing it.
