Environmental monitoring still relies heavily on centralized analytical techniques such as chromatography and mass spectrometry. These methods are powerful, but they are not always suited to rapid, frequent or on-site measurements. Aptamers offer another route: synthetic recognition molecules that can be integrated into portable optical, electrochemical and colorimetric sensors. From heavy metals to emerging contaminants The range of environmental targets being explored is al

Aptamers are often discussed as future diagnostic or therapeutic molecules, but they can also be valuable research tools throughout the R&D process. Their specific molecular recognition, synthetic production and easy chemical modification make them useful for capturing, detecting, profiling and studying biological targets. A striking example is proteomics. SomaLogic’s SomaScan platform uses modified DNA aptamers as affinity reagents and can currently perform around 11,000 pro

argeted delivery has become one of the most active directions in aptamer research. Aptamers can act as molecular addresses, recognizing a receptor on a specific cell and carrying another therapeutic component with them. The concept has now been demonstrated with many types of payloads: doxorubicin, gemcitabine, paclitaxel and docetaxel; siRNA and other nucleic acids; liposomes; polymeric and metallic nanoparticles; and increasingly complex multifunctional constructs. Recent r

Every diagnostic test begins with the same fundamental challenge: recognizing the right target in the right sample, with enough selectivity to generate a meaningful signal. Aptamers offer a particularly flexible way to solve that problem. These synthetic DNA or RNA molecules can be developed to recognize proteins, cells and even small molecules, and their chemistry makes them easy to connect to fluorescent labels, electrodes, nanoparticles and other sensing elements. This has