#TechTuesday: Graphenea's transistors for biosensors

COVID-19 exposed the need for quicker and reliable point-of-care tests and diagnostic tools. The Graphene Flagship makes this possible, thanks to new graphene-enabled transistors that are ideal for ultra-sensitive biosensors.

Our partner Graphenea, in Spain, already commercialises several types of graphene-based transistors for applications in biosensing, microelectronics and rapid testing.

Imagine a vast, calm lake. Any tiny pebble that hits the surface creates a huge ripple effect. Something similar happens with graphene: this material is only one atom thick, which makes it extremely sensitive to the most subtle changes in its environment. Today, graphene sensors are over one million times more sensitive than any alternative.

Health scientists customise Graphenea’s sensors with different biomolecules, such as antibodies, aptamers, proteins and nucleic acids, using standard immobilisation techniques. This makes them very versatile, as the same transistors are tailored to detect viruses like COVID, MERS, Zika, or the common flu. Virtually any possible biomarkers can be detected using this platform.

The different products sold by Graphenea allow for different configurations: individual channels, parallel channels or sets of four individual channels – which enable simultaneous tests for several diseases. The transistors are designed with researchers in mind, are ideal for manipulation in the lab, and are available for just 300 euros. During the pandemic, sales increased by over 50%.

Moreover, Graphenea manufactures many other products and solutions. The Graphenea Foundry manufactures totally customised devices, tailoring both geometry and device architecture to your needs. Different process flows enable a myriad of applications and products to be developed, scaled up and commercialised. Graphenea also provides graphene and layered materials to both the Graphene Flagship and our 2D Experimental Pilot Line, a new 20-million-euro project to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene-enabled products.