Without Antibodies and Without Amplification: Ultra-fast Identification of Whole Proteins Using a Technology Developed at the Technion

Researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have developed a groundbreaking technology for the ultra-fast identification of whole proteins, enabling rapid and precise protein diagnostics without the need for antibodies or molecular amplification. The innovation, led by Prof. Amit Meller and Dr. Neeraj Soni from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, represents a major step toward real-time proteome analysis and next-generation medical diagnostics.

Published in Nature Nanotechnology, the study introduces a nanopore-based platform that identifies proteins by reading their unique electrical “fingerprints” as they move through synthetic nanometer-scale pores. The system employs a “stick–slip” mechanism to control protein motion and uses machine learning algorithms to decode the resulting electrical signals, achieving identification speeds several orders of magnitude faster than existing methods.

The researchers demonstrated the approach using the amino acid cysteine, which is found in approximately 97% of human proteins—making the method broadly applicable across the human proteome. The technology, developed in collaboration with the University of Illinois and Rice University, holds promise for diverse clinical applications, including early cancer detection and personalized medicine through rapid blood-based protein analysis.

Supported by a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant under the Horizon 2020 program, this breakthrough provides a new foundation for developing point-of-care systems capable of near-instant protein diagnostics—advancing both biomedical research and patient care.

Scott Pegan, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside, has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health of about $3.4 million over five years to lead an international study focused on developing protective antibodies against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus.

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