Journal of Proteomics & Bioinformatics
Open Access
ISSN: 0974-276X
+44 1223 790975
ISSN: 0974-276X
+44 1223 790975
Nekane Guarrotxena
CSIC-Institute of Polymer Science and Technology, Spain
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Proteomics Bioinform
An interesting use of proteomics is using specific protein biomarkers to early stage biomedical diagnose and drug discovery improve. Biomarkers are discrete proteins or other molecular entities that act as surrogate markers for the presence of disease. Despite the relevant improvements of the past decades, the development of highly sensitive analytical methodologies for low abundance biomarkers identification, in complex mixtures of proteins remains being challenging in modern proteomics. Immunology laboratories widely rely on the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for protein detection and identification. However, despite the high sensitivity of the method, target of several biomarkers in parallel in single samples cannot easily be performed with emissive reporters-based ELISA protocols due to the broad spectral characteristics. Innovative approaches to obtain sensitivity enhancements with detection limits even down to the single molecule have been proposed in the nanotechnology framework. In the nanoplasmonics field, Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has been performed as an ultrasensitive, fast and universal analytical technique. In this context, we have recently developed a method to allow the selective identification of specific biomarkers in complex matrices such as human plasma and serum opening the possibility of highly sensitive multiplexing diagnosis or medical investigations.
Nekane Guarrotxena has completed her PhD from the University of Complutense, Madrid, Spain and Post-doctoral Researcher at the Ecole Nationale Superieured´ Arts et Metiers (ENSAM), Paris (France) and the University of Science II, LEM-Montpellier (France). From 2008-2011 she was visiting professor in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara (USA) and the CaSTL at the University of California, Irvine (USA). She is currently research scientist at the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP), CSIC-Madrid (Spain). Her research interest focuses on the synthesis and assembly of hybrid nanomaterials, nanoplasmonics and their uses in nanobiotechnology applications (bioimaging, biosensing, drug delivery and therapy).
Email: nekane@ictp.csic.es