The Project CONCEPT / 0521/0067 is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation
MySens* aims to develop a new innovative technique that will utilize the sensory abilities of fungi to create mycelium-based immunosensors, while also being environmentally friendly as mycelium-based materials are composed exclusively of biocompatible components thus they are biodegradable in nature.
THE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH MYSENS AS THE NEXT-GENERATION ECO-FRIENDLY TOOL FOR RAPID TESTING
The use of plastic is widespread globally and medical supplies are not an exception. Nowadays, the hundreds of millions of rapid tests produced and sold every year, lead to a significant amount of non-recyclable plastic waste produced by this one small market (COVID-19 diagnostics) alone. Plastic waste from rapid tests undoubtedly possesses a great potential for negative impacts. Confirmatory testing for COVID-19 has generated more than 15,000 tons of waste . Countless international initiatives have been enforced to raise awareness of the effects of plastics and encourage the use of alternative biodegradable materials
Due to the increasing demand for “green” materials and associated production processes, extensive literature has been developed about biocomposite and bio-based materials. These terms aim to highlight the derivation of raw materials from biological sources, including materials created by the biological activity of living organisms.
MySens is a novel technology looking to improve rapid testing techniques and decrease the plastic footprint from the rapid test sector.
The nature of the project favors the development of new knowledge and skills, as MySens aims to create a new method that has not yet been developed. The use of the proposed system will benefit diagnostic centers with an improved and innovative detection tool, as well as reducing plastic waste and its associated pollution and repercussions to public health.
Image: Schematic illustration of MySens system. ‘Fungal skin’ or ‘Fungal block’ will be connected with the modified BELD device and acting as an immunosensor. In the presence of the target antigen and after the binding with the immunosensor, an electrical response will occur, and this signal will be measured by the device.
*The Project with No. Protocol CONCEPT / 0521/0067, entitled “Biodegradable mycelium-based immunosensor” and acronym “MySens”
[1] Celis, J. E., Espejo, W., Paredes-Osses, E., Contreras, S. A., Chiang, G., & Bahamonde, P. (2021). Plastic residues produced with confirmatory testing for COVID-19: Classification, quantification, fate, and impacts on human health. The Science of the total environment, 760, 144167.