Lighting up heart disease without antibodies: BGU researchers design low-cost blood test for resource-poor clinics

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

image: 

Visual abstract

view more 

Credit: Prof. Ayelet David

BEER-SHEVA, Israel, November 11, 2026 -- Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, devastating children and young adults in low- and middle-income countries where access to specialized ultrasound equipment and refrigerated testing labs is virtually nonexistent. Inexpensive penicillin could stop the progressive valve damage if detected early, yet millions remain undiagnosed until irreversible heart failure sets in. 

Now, researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have engineered a synthetic, antibody-free diagnostic probe that detects cardiac inflammatory biomarkers in blood without requiring cold-chain refrigeration or complex laboratory machinery. The peer-reviewed study, published in ACS Sensors (https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.6c03085), lays the groundwork for affordable, rapid point-of-care screening in rural and underserved communities. 

The research was led by Prof. Ayelet David alongside Ilana Teboul, Naama Shlush, Maya Droby, and Dr. Yvonne Ventura from BGU’s Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, in collaboration with the late Prof. Robert A. Levine of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 

The Diagnostic Bottleneck in Global Health 

Triggered by untreated group A streptococcal throat infections, rheumatic fever causes chronic inflammation that progressively thickens, scars, and calcifies cardiac valves. Although regular antibiotic injections can prevent recurrent damage, identifying patients before heart valves are destroyed currently demands echocardiography machines or complex antibody-based blood assays such as ELISA. 

Standard ELISA testing relies on biological antibodies that are expensive to manufacture, vulnerable to heat degradation, and dependent on multistep processing. In low-resource clinics lacking continuous refrigeration or automated equipment, widespread immunoassay screening is virtually impossible. 

A 'Light-Up' Molecular Tripwire 

To bypass biological antibodies entirely, the BGU team built a fully synthetic, polymer-based sensor using an HPMA backbone functionalized with specific peptide ligands and near-infrared fluorescent dyes. The probe is engineered to function like an optical switch: 

• Built-in Optical Silencing: When floating freely, the polymer remains tightly clustered, bringing the dye molecules into close proximity so they naturally absorb and quench each other's light. 

• Biomarker-Activated Signal: When the synthetic peptides encounter E-selectin—a key adhesion molecule shed into the blood during active valvular inflammation—the polymer uncoils, pulling the dyes apart and producing a sharp "turn-on" fluorescent glow. 

• Direct Blood Sensing: In laboratory trials, the probe successfully captured and quantified E-selectin directly in complex serum samples, producing a clear, dose-dependent optical readout on standard microplate readers. 

 

Breaking the Cold-Chain Barrier 

"Current diagnostics depend heavily on delicate animal-derived antibodies that spoil if they aren't kept on ice," says lead researcher Prof. Ayelet David. "By replacing antibodies with robust synthetic polymers and peptides, we have created a platform that is inherently stable, significantly cheaper to manufacture, and resilient to ambient temperatures. It is built specifically to survive real-world conditions where cold-chain logistics simply don't exist." 

No established blood biomarker is currently available for diagnosing RHD. A panel of markers is therefore needed to tell RHD patients apart from non-rheumatic valvular disease and other inflammatory conditions. By simply swapping the targeting peptides, the same polymer backbone can be adapted to detect biomarkers for many vascular and inflammatory diseases. While current sensitivity operates in the microgram range and further optimization is underway to detect minute nanogram-level concentrations in early-stage patients, the modular design provides an immediate translational platform.  

This work was supported by research grants from the Leducq Foundation as part of the PRIMA (Preventing Rheumatic Injury BioMarker Alliance) Network (Grant No. 22ARF02) and supported in part by the Israel Science Foundation (Grant No. 2033/25). 

---

Journal

ACS Sensors

DOI

10.1021/acssensors.6c03085

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Human tissue samples

Article Title

Polymeric Probe for Sensitive Diagnosis of Serum Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecules in Rheumatic Heart Disease

Lithium-free, non-flammable batteries lasting twice as long by Politecnico di Milano

The revolutionary membrane developed by a team from the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" allows the use of fluoride ions – Results published in the journal Energy Storage Materials

Politecnico di Milano

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

image: 

3D model of a Fluoride Exchange Membrane (FEM), obtained via molecular dynamics simulations

view more 

Credit: Politecnico di Milano

A new polymer electrolyte to replace lithium ions in batteries. It’s the result of a research carried out by a team from the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering (DCMIC) "Giulio Natta" at Politecnico di Milano, which conceived and developed a revolutionary, non-flammable, quasi-solid gel membrane that enables the transport of fluoride ions within batteries at room temperature.

The study, published in the prestigious journal Energy Storage Materials, is the outcome of a collaboration between several professors and laboratories within DCMIC, thanks to an interdisciplinary approach that brought together different expertise in chemistry, materials engineering, electrochemistry and molecular dynamics. The key researchers involved were the coordinator Maurizio Sansotera, head of the Fluoritech laboratory; Luca Magagnin, head of the SEE Lab – Surface Engineering and Electrochemistry Laboratory, who was responsible for the electrochemical characterization; and Giuseppina Raffaini, whose contribution in molecular dynamics was fundamental to understanding the mechanisms underlying fluoride ion transport through the polymer membrane.

The study is pioneering precisely because it defines, for the first time, the concept of a Fluoride Exchange Membrane (FEM), by analogy with the widely used proton exchange membranes (PEMs), already employed in numerous applications, and anion exchange membranes (AEMs).

The advantages of fluoride-ion batteries are multiple and relevant, starting with their environmental impact, as they could make use of materials that are more readily available and far more abundant than lithium. Moreover, they could play an active role in the energy transition, in energy storage systems needed to store energy generated from renewable sources, thanks to a fundamental characteristic of this innovative material: its non-flammability. "Renewable energy sources have production peaks that occur at times that do not coincide with peak consumption. To address this problem, several European countries are developing storage systems for the energy produced, but the widespread adoption of these systems is often limited by concerns about the fire risk associated with batteries," explains Maurizio Sansotera, Professor of Fundamentals of Chemistry. "The technology we are developing is based on the use of a non-flammable polymer membrane that reduces the risk of fire, while also offering the advantage of using an element that is abundant and evenly distributed in nature."

Not only safer, but also lighter batteries capable of lasting longer, as they could offer higher theoretical energy densities. "We are talking about approximately 600 watt-hours per kilogram, compared with around 150–250 for standard lithium-ion batteries. In practice, this would mean roughly twice the battery life: an electric car could travel twice as many kilometres," says Luca Magagnin, Professor of Applied Physical Chemistry. "There are many possible applications, from energy storage systems to drones, satellites and aircraft."

Another fundamental aspect is that fluoride ion transport in the polymer electrolyte developed takes place at room temperature. "The quasi-solid membrane we have designed enables fluoride ion transport at room temperature. This makes it possible to avoid wasting the energy required to preheat the battery," emphasizes Giuseppina Raffaini, Professor of Chemistry and Materials. "In previous generations of fluoride-ion batteries, by contrast, operating temperatures of around 100–150 degrees were required to improve ionic conductivity, consuming part of the stored energy by dissipating it as heat."

The fluoride-ion gel membrane also makes it possible to overcome dependence on lithium and represents an important step forward towards the development of next-generation batteries, with the prospect of offering higher energy density, greater safety and improved sustainability.

---

Journal

Energy Storage Materials

DOI

10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105410

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Toward room temperature fluoride-ion batteries: quaternary ammonium-bearing fluoride-exchange membrane as a quasi-solid polymer electrolyte

The non-flammable, quasi-solid gel membrane that enables the transport of fluoride ions within batteries at room temperature

Batteries test rack

Credit

Politecnico di Milano

 

Scientists give hard-to-recycle wind turbine blades a second life

Cell Press

Facebook

X
BlueskyMessage

Email

image: 

A wind turbine being decommissioned in China. Researchers have developed a new method to turn hard-to-recycle wind turbine blades into valuable materials.

view more 

Credit: Bing Deng

From intense UV radiation and extreme temperatures to wind gusts and lightning strikes, wind turbine blades are engineered to withstand some of the harshest conditions. But that durability becomes a problem at the end of their lives, because the blades are also difficult to break down and recycle. 

Reporting November 6 in the Cell Press journal Chem Circularity, researchers found a way to give discarded wind turbine blades a second life. By subjecting the blades to a brief burst of intense heat, they transformed the waste into silicon carbide and graphene, two valuable materials for manufacturing. The method could cut up to 83%–92% greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional recycling strategies while also turning a profit. 

“Wind turbines typically have a service life of around 20 years,” says senior author and chemical and environmental engineer Bing Deng of Tsinghua University, China. “As aging turbines are decommissioned, especially in China, where wind power has expanded rapidly, much of the waste has ended up in landfills. It’s a waste of resources.” 

The team’s method takes advantage of the blades’ own chemical makeup. Wind turbine blades are usually made from silica-containing fiberglass and carbon-rich polymer resin. Using a technique called flash Joule heating, the researchers heated the waste to about 2000°C (3632°F) in seconds. At this temperature, carbon can react with silica to form silicon carbide, a hard, heat-resistant material. Meanwhile, carbon can also reorganize into graphene, a material known for its strength and ability to conduct heat and electricity.  

The researchers found that adding the broken-down blades to other materials made the materials more useful in several contexts, including for new wind turbines. Just 0.3% by weight of the recovered materials made resin stiffer and stronger and improved its resistance to deformation by 27% under tension and 9% when bent. At 0.1% concentration by weight, the materials increased the resin’s thermal diffusivity by 41%, allowing heat to spread through more quickly. 

“The mixture of silicon carbide and graphene can be incorporated back into resins for new wind turbine blades, improving their mechanical and thermal properties,” says Deng. 

Beyond creating valuable new materials, the process could offer a cleaner and more economical alternative to conventional recycling techniques such as pyrolysis, which uses heat to break down polymers into oil and gas, and chemical dissolution, which uses solvents to separate resin from glass fibers. The new method could cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 83% and 92% compared with pyrolysis and chemical dissolution, respectively. 

“With conventional recycling methods, you have to spend money to process the waste. But our method could actually turn a profit of about $80 per ton because the recovered silicon carbide and graphene are valuable,” says lead author and environmental engineer Hao Bi of Tsinghua University. “By comparison, pyrolysis costs about $460 per ton, while chemical dissolution costs about $1,800 per ton.” 

The team is working on ways to scale up their process and is hoping to collaborate with partners in the industry. Their method could also be adapted to process other durable materials used in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, electronics packaging, and construction.  

“This is more than recycling. It’s upcycling,” says Deng. “We’re turning something that has little value into something that’s worth much more.” 

### 

This work was supported by funding from the Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Beijing Natural Science Foundation, and the Central Leading Local Science and Technology Development Fund. 

Chem Circularity, Bi et al., “Upcycling of waste wind turbine blades by electrothermal reduction toward circular resin composite applications” https://www.cell.com/chem-circularity/fulltext/S3051-2948(26)00197-0

Chem Circularity (@cp-chemcircularity.bsky.social) is a Cell Press journal focused on cutting-edge research in pursuit of sustainable and circular systems across disciplines, with an emphasis on reduction, redesign, reuse, and recycling. The journal publishes insights and innovations to ensure responsible production and consumption of the chemicals and materials that underpin our world. Visit https://www.cell.com/chem-circularity/home. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.  

---

Journal

Chem Circularity

DOI

10.1016/j.checir.2026.100201

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Upcycling of waste wind turbine blades by electrothermal reduction toward circular resin composite applications

Article Publication Date

6-Nov-2026

Researchers prepared resin samples reinforced with silicon carbide and graphene recovered from discarded wind turbine blades for a tensile performance test.

Credit

Hao Bi

 

A tunable molecular fuse helps high-nickel lithium batteries respond to overheating

Science China Press

Facebook

BlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

image: 

Polymer-embedded molecular fuse mechanism for thermally responsive safety in Li batteries.

view more 

Credit: Ying Zhang, Yu-Guo Guo, Chunli Bai / Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

An electrical fuse protects a circuit by cutting off the current when something goes wrong. But could a similar safeguard work inside a lithium battery, intervening in dangerous chemical reactions before they spiral out of control?

Researchers at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have developed a polymer "molecular fuse" designed to do just that. Integrated directly into high-nickel battery cathodes, it aims to suppress the heat-producing reactions that drive thermal runaway. The findings were published online in National Science Review.

Such protection is particularly important for high-nickel lithium batteries, which offer high energy density for applications such as electric vehicles but face significant thermal safety challenges. When these batteries overheat, oxygen released from the cathode can react with the electrolyte, generating heat and flammable gases. Like falling dominoes, these reactions can reinforce one another, eventually driving the battery into thermal runaway.

The molecular fuse works through temperature-sensitive phosphorus-carbon (P–C) bonds within the polymer. Under normal conditions, the polymer remains stable and supports lithium-ion transport. During abnormal heating, these bonds begin to break, generating phosphorus-centered radicals that can interfere with the reactive species responsible for heat-producing chain reactions.

Importantly, the temperature at which the polymer responds can be adjusted through molecular design. By modifying its phosphonate side chains, the researchers raised the onset of thermal decomposition from approximately 102°C to 112°C. This adjustment allows the polymer to better withstand typical cathode drying temperatures of around 100°C without premature activation, while retaining its ability to respond during the early stages of thermal runaway.

Laboratory tests demonstrated the protective effect. Fully charged high-nickel cathodes containing the molecular fuse released 76% less heat than unmodified cathodes, while gas generation was also reduced. Structural measurements further revealed less lattice expansion during early heating and delayed structural degradation, indicating improved thermal stability of the cathode.

The researchers also tested the approach in 0.6 Ah lithium-metal pouch cells. Under external heating, the modified cells exhibited a lower peak surface temperature near the cathode, while the temperature at which abrupt voltage collapse occurred increased from 144.7°C to 196.9°C. These results demonstrated that the molecular fuse could delay severe electrical failure and moderate thermal runaway at the cell level. Electrochemical tests also showed favorable lithium-ion transport and improved cycling performance.

Beyond developing a new protective material, the study introduces a broader design strategy: using tunable chemical bonds to actively intervene in hazardous reactions during the early stages of thermal runaway. Rather than relying solely on passive thermal barriers or flame suppression, this approach offers a new direction for improving the safety of high-energy lithium batteries.

---

Journal

National Science Review

DOI

10.1093/nsr/nwag679

Method of Research

Experimental study

 

Making lithium-ion battery faster and more efficient via porous graphene networks

Graphene mesosponge proves highly effective in improving energy and power densities in commercial lithium-ion batteries

Yokohama National University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

image: 

Graphene mesosponge (GMS), with its unique mesoporous architecture, facilitates three-dimensional electron and ion transport in high-loading, densely packed lithium-ion-battery electrodes. Its three-dimensionally interconnected carbon framework provides efficient electronic conduction, while electrolyte accommodated within the GMS mesopores promotes ionic transport, thereby enabling excellent rate performance under practical electrode conditions at high current densities.

view more 

Credit: YOKOHAMA National University

Making more efficient, longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries has been a challenge for researchers because adding more mass to the batteries restricts how fast the electricity and lithium ions can move. To overcome this challenge, a research team has added graphene mesosponge to batteries to improve how the battery conducts fast discharge. Their results show that graphene mesosponge is highly effective in improving the energy and power densities in commercial lithium-ion batteries.

Their research was published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials on October 8, 2026.

With a goal of building a cleaner, more sustainable society, scientists are working to develop more powerful lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are used to power items ranging from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles. With the current commercial lithium-ion batteries, the positive electrode, restricts the batteries’ energy density. Scientists are focused on creating high-performance positive electrode active materials that can achieve higher battery energy density.

Scientists have explored the use of pure nickel oxide as an electrode candidate for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. However, the battery degrades because high voltage stresses the materials with the nickel atoms making it harder for the battery to charge and discharge.

To achieve a higher battery energy density, scientists are studying ways to increase the active materials in the battery while reducing the parts of the composite electrode, such as conductive additives and polymer binders, that do not store electricity. But adding too much active material to the battery electrode while minimizing the conductive additives and polymer binders results in inefficient batteries where electricity cannot flow freely through the material. “Achieving efficient electron and ion transport in high-loading, densely packed electrodes remains a major challenge for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries,” said Naoaki Yabuuchi, a professor at YOKOHAMA National University. 

To address this challenge, the research team studied three different carbon materials, acetylene black, single-walled carbon nanotube, and graphene mesosponge, characterizing and comparing these materials as a possible conductive additive for battery applications. They discovered that graphene mesosponge performs as a functional conductive additive that tailors electrode microstructure through its sponge-like mesoporous framework. By adding just a small amount of graphene mesosponge, the team observed the formation of three-dimensional electron- and ion-conducting networks that contribute to more efficient batteries. The graphene mesosponge provides this improvement because of its porous framework which allows the electrolyte to move deeply into the parts of the battery where energy is stored. “The porous GMS architecture forms a three-dimensional electron- and ion-transport network, with electrolyte retained within its mesopores facilitating ion transport and resulting in superior rate capability,” said Yabuuchi.

The team used FIB-SEM tomography, a 3D imaging technique, to further demonstrate that graphene mesosponge forms a more uniformly distributed internal structure for a battery electrode. The graphene mesosponge features a three-dimensional sponge-like nanoscale structure, that allows electrons to move more freely inside the battery. The team views the use of functional conductive additives like graphene mesosponge to offer a promising strategy for maximizing battery performance under practical operation conditions. “Our results demonstrate that graphene mesosponge is a transformative conductive additive for simultaneously improving energy and power densities in practical lithium-ion batteries through rational microstructural design of dense composite electrodes,” said Yabuuchi.

With the team’s results showing that graphene mesosponge emerges such a promising conductive additive for high-energy and high-power lithium-ion battery electrodes, their work continues. “Our ultimate goal is to achieve fast-charging capability with a graphite negative electrode, thereby enabling the development of practical lithium-ion batteries that combine high energy density, high power density, and fast-charging capability,” said Yabuuchi.

The research team includes Yosuke Ugata, Rei Matsumoto, Sera Sato, and Naoaki Yabuuchi from YOKOHAMA National University; Jaejin Lim and Yong Min Lee from Yonsei University; Hiroshi Ueda, Atsuo Omaru, and Kosuke Ishii from 3DC corporation.

The research is supported by Japan Society of the Promotion of Science and Japan Science and Technology Agency.

###

YOKOHAMA National University (YNU) is a leading research university dedicated to academic excellence and global collaboration. Its faculties and research institutes lead efforts in pioneering new academic fields, advancing research in artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum information, semiconductor innovation, energy, biotechnology, ecosystems, and smart city development. Through interdisciplinary research and international partnerships, YNU drives innovation and contributes to global societal advancement.

---

Journal

Advanced Energy Materials

DOI

10.1002/aenm.71677

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Unlocking Three-Dimensional Electron and Ion Transport in High-Loading and Dense Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes Assisted via Porous Graphene Networks