Overview

• The probe couples terbium ions in a bile-salt-derived gel with a masked 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene molecule that releases an antenna under β-glucuronidase to amplify green fluorescence.
• Researchers anchored the luminescent gel onto paper discs that emit a clear green glow under UV light and can be analyzed using a basic lamp and open-source ImageJ software.
• Laboratory tests established a detection limit of 185 ng/mL, significantly below β-glucuronidase levels associated with advanced liver disease.
• Elevated β-glucuronidase appears in colon, breast and kidney cancers as well as neonatal jaundice and NSAID toxicity, indicating the sensor’s applicability across multiple conditions.
• The team is preparing clinical validation studies to confirm the sensor’s performance with patient samples.