IIT Bombay and IIT Indore have developed biosensor to detect kidney disorders

The Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay and Indore, have jointly developed a biosensor that makes it possible to detect kidney disorders in less than 8 minutes. The biosensor can accurately measure both the pH and urea concentration with a single drop of urine.
The researchers who developed it say that it will help make a point-of-care test to determine whether the kidneys are functioning normally. The biosensor is made by encapsulating an enzyme urease and a molecule FITC-dextran in alginate microspheres. The combination glows in response to a chemical reaction with urea and changes in pH when urine is added.
The fluorescence reduces when the pH is acidic and increases when it is alkaline. The changes in fluorescence intensity are measured, which helps to calculate the values of pH and urea. Thus, it will help make a rapid and accurate point-of-care diagnostic test for kidney disorders.