Ocean Insight is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021-22 Ocean Insight Grant Program.
The seven winning proposals were selected from hundreds of entries representing nearly 50 countries and comprising leading universities, research institutions and technology start-ups.
Grantees will be honored at a virtual Ocean Insight Grant Program Awards event, with scheduling and other details to be announced.
Ocean Inspiration Award (1st Place) – $20,000 in Ocean Insight Products
University of Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Submitted by Heike Arnolds
Summary: Improving non-invasive diagnostics of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Non-invasive diagnostic methods for diseases and personalized medicine are of increasing importance. Some through-skin detection schemes exist for specific diseases, but not for diseases caused by misfolded proteins, which mostly require biopsies or full-body scans.
Amyloids are misfolded proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. These proteins possess a unique blue autofluorescence and a characteristic near-IR fluorescence. This fluorescence shows a constant Stokes shift and likely arises from a Raman-active peak that is characteristic for misfolded proteins. This constant Stokes shift and the narrow linewidth of the observed feature should enable a distinction between amyloid and melanin, the main fluorescent chromophore of tissue in the near-IR.
They will show that distinction from melanin and detection through skin is feasible, initially with mixed melanin/amyloid solutions (insulin, immunoglobulin light-chain), later with small deposits underneath artificial skin to mimic the optical properties of real skin.