The innovative biosensor platform developed under the leadership of Boğaziçi University faculty member Assoc. Prof. Sema Dumanlı Oktar has been published in Nature Communications, one of the world's most prestigious scientific journals. The study enables genetically modified living cells to interact with an implanted antenna inside the body and transmit wireless signals to the outside of the body.

The study was conducted by Assoc. Prof. Sema Dumanlı Oktar, a faculty member of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department at Boğaziçi University, and her student Ahmet Bilir, along with Assoc. Prof. Urartu Şeker and Dr. Merve Yavuz, founders of the Synthetic Biosystems Laboratory. The research holds significant potential, particularly for the early diagnosis of diseases and continuous health monitoring.

In the system developed, bacteria or mammalian cells are genetically programmed to detect a specific disease marker such as a virus or molecule. When the cell detects the target molecule, a frequency change in the implanted antenna enables wireless signal detection from outside the body. The absence of electronic components such as batteries or chips in the antenna structure makes the system suitable for in-body use. This innovative technology has been protected by a triadic patent in the US, Europe, and Japan by Boğaziçi University.

Assoc. Prof. Sema Dumanlı Oktar stated that the most important aspect of the study, which distinguishes it from current sensor technologies, is that it utilizes the natural sensitivity of living cells, saying, “This allows us to perform real-time detection at the molecular level. It becomes possible to instantly track the presence of a specific bacterium, virus, or biomarker within the body.”

The researchers point out that such a monitoring system could be critically important, particularly in patients at high risk of post-operative infection. The fact that the developed cell-based biosensors become inactive on their own after remaining in the body for a certain period of time is also one of the study's prominent safety aspects.

In the later stages of the study, the system's efficacy will be tested more comprehensively through animal and human trials. In the long term, this approach is expected to pave the way for innovative applications such as remote health monitoring, early diagnosis, and even the control of drug release via signals sent from outside the body.

Assoc. Prof. Dumanlı Oktar emphasizes that the ongoing studies could enable long-term continuous health monitoring, allowing for early disease intervention and thus offering a healthier and higher quality of life.

Thanks to our university's international scientific collaborations and advanced research infrastructure, this innovative biosensor technology is expected to make important contributions to new health applications focused on early diagnosis and continuous monitoring.