A TINY sensor that can reliably detect and identify proteins has been developed independently by two research teams. Based on a carbon nanotube, it produces a telltale electrical signal when it encounters a target protein.
Currently, detecting a particular protein in a mixture of many others is a tricky affair. Starting with an antibody to the target protein, you have to attach a marker molecule that emits light when the antibody binds to the protein. This is a time-consuming process, and for many proteins it has proved impossible to find an antibody and marker that work for that protein alone.…
