2026/02/19 by Kota Hayashi, Mamoru Tamura, Masazumi Fujiwara +2 · 1 voice
Engineering · Materials Science · #Biosensors and Analytical Detection #Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications #Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s42005-025-02480-9
openalex created_date 2026/02/19 · openalex publication_date 2026/02/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Abstract Detecting trace amounts of harmful bacteria and nanoscale biomarkers is essential for early diagnosis and disease prevention. However, conventional methods, such as cultivation and immunoassays, are time-consuming and suffer from limited biological sensitivity. To address these limitations, we developed a rapid and highly sensitive detection method based on optical condensation using a metallic thin-film-coated optical fibre module. Acting as a photothermal source, this module induces convection and bubble formation at the fibre tip, enabling efficient three-dimensional condensation of targets within liquid samples. When positioned away from the substrate, the module assembled 10 3 –10 5 bacteria and microparticles from a 20 μL sample within 60 s. This approach increased assembly efficiency by more than ten-fold compared with conventional two-dimensional photothermal methods, concentrating over 10% of all target objects through combined horizontal and vertical convection. These findings highlight the potential of this technique for advancing bioanalytical detection, drug delivery and material assembly technologies.