Delphine Bouilly and her research group assemble ultra-miniaturized electronic circuits and sensors capable of detecting and analyzing biological macromolecules such as DNA strands and proteins. The team is particularly interested in the detection of biomarkers and the dynamic measurement of molecules and their interactions.

Research theme

Electronic components have reached such a level of miniaturization that it is now possible to build circuits comparable in size to those of biological macromolecules, such as DNA and proteins.

Delphine Bouilly’s Research Unit uses the most advanced nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing techniques to assemble nanobiosensors. These electronic sensors make it possible to isolate up to a single macromolecule in order to follow their interactions.

Through fluctuations in the electric current, these measurements make it possible to follow in real time a succession of chemical reactions, molecular interactions and/or conformational changes in a single macromolecule, while covering a broad spectrum of temporal ranges.

The direct observation of molecular dynamics is particularly promising to decode the fundamental biochemical mechanisms of macromolecules. This knowledge could ultimately translate into applications in the healthcare field.

Research objectives

Delphine Bouilly’s team develops electronic nanobiocensors with the aim of turning them into affordable, compact, and multifunctional biomedical technologies.
Her work focuses more specifically on the dynamics of nucleic acid conformations and interactions, as well as the detection of biomarkers using antibody- or oligonucleotide-based electronic assays.
To achieve this, she combines the expertise of student researchers from different fields such as physics, biomedical engineering, and molecular biology. The goal of this work is to develop new tools for detecting biomarkers associated with different types of cancer and to better understand the mechanics of macromolecules, with a view to informing the design of drugs and treatments.