Can Nanotech Be a Game-Changer for In Vitro Diagnostics?

People have awakened to the opportunities in diagnostics. Molecular information offers the potential for increased test sensitivity, and reduced upfront sample prep using nanotechnology could provide the means for many gene- and protein-based diagnostic tests to transition out of the central lab. Nanotech may also enable the use of newly discovered or newly usable biomarkers. Finally, unlike the traditional point-of-care model, a new wave of nanotech-based instruments could bring testing even closer to the patient.