Juice of spoiled oranges used to detect malignant cells

A University of Sydney PhD researcher is developing a cancer and serious disease-detecting biomedical probe that can be made from the juice of rancid oranges. Called a nanobiosensor ? a tiny probe that uses fluorescence to signal cells' pH in terms of their acidity or alkalinity ? it detects whether cells are at risk, or in the early stages of cancer or other serious diseases. When human cells become more acidic, it can suggest that cancer is not far off. The nanobiosensor, which measures only one-billionth of a metre, is made of fluorescent carbon dots that can be created from food waste, in this case, the juice of rotten oranges. The ?off? oranges were used for their high levels of ascorbic acid ? which improves the nanobiosensor?s functionality ? and to minimise food waste going to landfill. The process, published in Chemical Engineering Journal, involves taking a tissue biopsy of cells suspected to be cancerous, which are put in a petri dish. Using a laboratory pipette the nanobiosensor is then applied to the cells, which are then examined under a fluorescence microscope ? a type of microscope that shows subtle light variations. Source and more information,Analytica World, Spoiled oranges shine light on malignant cells Picture by?Herbario virtual, C?tedra de Fitopatolog?a, FAUBA