The NTNU Bio-nanomachines: Next-generation tools for high-resolution Genomics in Diagnostics and Medical Research

Epigenetic changes affect the activity of a gene independently of mutations. Instead, chemical markers are added or removed that control how genes are expressed and how certain gene products (proteins) function in the body. Such markers can contribute to the development of disease, and understanding how they behave is a central topic in modern biomedical research. Several factors such as diet, stress and environmental toxins can affect these epigenetic mechanisms. The special thing about epigenetics is that it provides a new approach to understanding and treating disease. While genetic mutations are often difficult to correct, erroneous epigenetic markers can in principle be removed or adjusted. A deeper understanding of epigenetic regulation is therefore crucial for uncovering biological processes and mechanisms behind diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and metabolic disorders. However, current technologies for epigenetic analysis are expensive, time-consuming and demanding to use, with low signal-to-noise ratios and limited ability to analyze very small amounts of material, such as single cells. The development of NTNU Bio-nanomachines seeks to overcome these limitations through a patent-pending technology platform. The project aims to validate the bio-nanomachines by performing epigenetic profiling on biological samples with very few cells and comparing the results with existing methods. The intersection of nanotechnology and epigenetics represents enormous potential, and NTNU's bio-nanomachines can be an important contribution to this rapidly growing field.

Selv om prosjektet ikke nådde de planlagte målene innenfor tidsrammen og de økonomiske rammene, har det gitt forskerne økt forståelse for hvilke faktorer som er avgjørende for kommersialisering. Prosjektet har dessuten bidratt til betydelig kompetanseheving innen epigenetisk kartlegging i forskningsgruppen, og har avdekket konkrete, tekniske områder der videre forbedringer er nødvendige. Ettersom teknologien fortsatt krever ytterligere utvikling og modning, har prosjektet foreløpig ikke hatt samfunnsmessige effekter.