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Project BATMAN

a new way to detect cancer using toehold switches

Late presentation and non-specific symptoms are the main
reasons 1.6 million people worldwide die from lung cancer every year

Dr Sujal Desai, Consultant Chest Radiologist

We have developed a new way to detect cancer at an early stage by measuring micro-RNAs (miRNAs), biomarkers found in blood. We use toehold switches to regulate expression of GFP in response to specific miRNAs. This method could be applied to a myriad of diseases, but we have chosen to use non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a proof of concept. We hope our work in NSCLC detection demonstrates the potential that toehold switches have to offer as a cheap and effective diagnostic tool.