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Airborne biomarker localization engine for open-air point-of-care detection

Nature Chemical Engineering volume 2, pages 321–333 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Unlike biomarkers in biofluids, airborne biomarkers are dilute and difficult to trace. Detecting diverse airborne biomarkers with sufficient sensitivity typically relies on bulky and expensive equipment like mass spectrometers that remain inaccessible to the general population. Here we introduce airborne biomarker localization engine (ABLE), a simple, affordable and portable platform that can detect both non-volatile and volatile molecules and particulate biomarkers from open air in about 15 min. ABLE substantially improves the gas detection limits by converting dilute gases into droplets by water condensation, producing concentrated aqueous samples that can be easily tested by existing liquid-sensing platforms. Fundamental studies of multiphase condensation revealed unexpected stability in condensate-trapped biomarkers, making ABLE a reliable, accessible and high-performance system for open-air-based biosensing applications such as non-contact infant healthcare, pathogen detection in public spaces and food safety monitoring.

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Fig. 1: Concept, design and device components of ABLE.
Fig. 2: Thermofluidic design principles of ABLE.
Fig. 3: Enrichment strategies for detecting dilute biomarkers.
Fig. 4: Open-air detection of disease biomarkers.
Fig. 5: Detection of particle biomarkers.

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Data availability

The data required to recreate the figures are available in this article and its Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

We thank K. M. Watters for scientific editing of the manuscript; E. Augustine from the University of Chicago “Engineering + Technical Support Group” for the three-dimensional modeling and fabrication of the ABLE device; and J. Smous, J. Holewczynski and M. Engstrom from the University of Notre Dame Engineering and Design Core Facility for the three-dimensional modeling and fabrication of the ABLE test bed for the dew point measurement. The work is supported by US Army Research Office no. W911NF-24-1-0053 (B.T.), University of Chicago startup grant (B.T.), University of Notre Dame startup grant (J.M.), the Technology Development Fund from the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health (J.M.), the Grier Prize for Innovation Research in the Biophysical Sciences (P.L.) and the National Institute of Health nos. R01 HD105234 (E.C.C. and J.L.) and R21 NS121432 (E.C.C. and J.L.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jingcheng Ma & Bozhi Tian

  2. Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Jingcheng Ma, Yamin Mansur, Amio P. D. Ritwik & Sai P. Peri

  3. The Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Jingcheng Ma

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Megan Laune, Jiping Yue & Bozhi Tian

  5. Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Pengju Li

  6. The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Pengju Li & Bozhi Tian

  7. University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jing Lu, Yueyue Yu, Kaitlyn Oliphant & Erika C. Claud

  8. Comer Children’s Hospital, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jing Lu, Yueyue Yu, Kaitlyn Oliphant & Erika C. Claud

  9. Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jessica Cleary

  10. The College, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Zachary Kessler

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Contributions

This study was conceived by J.M. and B.T. J.M. designed the ABLE device. Experimental measurements were performed by J.M., M.L., P.L., Y.M. and A.P.D.R., with input and resources provided by B.T., J.Y., E.C.C., Z.K. and J.M. Theoretical modeling and numerical simulations were performed by J.M. and S.P.P. Animal models for preterm infant disease and the sequential metabolomic analysis was provided by J.L., J.C., Y.Y., K.O. and E.C.C. The paper was prepared by J.M., M.L., P.L., J.L., J.C., Y.M., S.P.P. and B.T., with contributions and final approval from all authors.

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Correspondence to Jingcheng Ma, Erika C. Claud or Bozhi Tian.

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Nature Chemical Engineering thanks Can Dincer, Alina Vasilescu and Daniel Orejon for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Ma, J., Laune, M., Li, P. et al. Airborne biomarker localization engine for open-air point-of-care detection. Nat Chem Eng 2, 321–333 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-025-00223-9

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