Detection and Classification of Wine
Wine is a highly demanded consumer product, and it is commonly associated with fraud. Thus, research involving identification and differentiation of wine and its chemical composition has caught the interest of analytical chemists. Particularly, red wines have a diverse and prominent tannin composition that can be used to distinguish one wine varietal from another. For instance, our lab has previously used differential sensing techniques to distinguish a Pinot Noir from a Cabernet Sauvignon, and other varietals. However, a new challenge has arisen beyond the identification of the type of wine. The new task is to identify the vineyard and region in which grapes for a specific wine are harvested. An additional project is the Replica Project. Replica Wines are carefully developed mixtures of other wines that aim to mimic the tastes of more expensive wines. The components of the Replica Wines are unknown, and would be of interest to consumers so that they know what they are drinking is indeed similar in both taste and chemical fingerprint to the original wine.
Detection of kinases related on early cancer-onset
Protein phosphorylation is a biologically important process involved in almost all aspects of cell signaling cascades. Enabling technologies that support the rapid detection and quantification of cellullar networks will facilitate the development of complex biological models.
​
Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play a key role in the signal transduction pathway by activating specific proteins whose malfunctions in the cell cycle are associated with a variety of diseases, specifically with cancer.
One method to correlate protein modifications with MAPK activity is the development of an array sensing approach, which allows for the rapid detection and quantification of a protein kinase activity in cell lysates.
This sensing protocol exploits the interactions between target kinases and a library of cross-reactive peptide-based biosensors to create a response pattern that is unique for individual kinases or different mixtures thereof.
Currently, the goal of the Supra Sensors Stream is to develop new biosensors to allow for the detection, differentiation and quantification of MAPK enzymatic activity. In addition, new peptide-based inhibitors are designed to explore regular or aberrant MAPK activity in this complex cellular environment.
Image courtesy of Protein Databank in Europe