Detection of chemical compounds is a fundamental problem in chemistry that also affects our quality of life. Indeed, it means understanding if there is a pollutant in the environment, find a disease biomarker in the blood, or addressing many other similar problems that continuously arise in everyday life. This problem has still not found an ultimate solution. The most common analytical techniques (chromatography, mass spectrometry, Elisa assays) are able to efficiently separate and detect the target compound but provide only indirect information on its identity (and this makes possible the obtainment of false positives). Moreover, they may fail in the identification of new compounds that cannot be compared with standard samples.
The research activity carried out by prof. Fabrizio Mancin (PI) and Dr. Federico Rastrelli in the context of the ERC-StG 2010 project MOSAIC has led to the invention of “NMR chemosensing”, a new method for the detection and identification of organic molecules based on the use of NMR spectrometry and nanoparticles. In a simplified picture, the nanoparticles added to the sample are able to “capture” and “label” the target molecule in such a way that the NMR experiment detects only the target and is not disturbed by the other compounds present in the sample. In this way, detection, unambiguous identification and quantification of the analyte are simultaneously possible in a single experiment.
The activity performed in the ERC-PoC 2014 project INSIGHT allowed to perform a detailed analysis of the potentials of this method and to finalize a development plan to move it toward the market. Technical testing performed has led to the submission of new patents to better protect the IP developed. The market analysis performed defined to most promising application fields, and in particular the detection of the so-called “designer drugs”. The business plan prepared allowed individuating the best strategy to create of a start-up company with a two-step development strategy. Potential strategic partners have been selected and preliminarily contacted.
