A groundbreaking Southampton discovery, made 40 years ago, is still impacting on fields ranging from cancer diagnostics and crime scene analysis, to drug and art forgery detection.

The technique, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), allows scientists to detect molecules in far smaller quantities than ever before. By roughening the metal surface upon which molecules to be analysed are placed, the Southampton team found that the signal produced was increased by a million times.

Together with AstraZeneca, our researchers are now taking SERS to the next level in order to advance stem cell therapy. By inserting tiny particles of gold, less than 1000th of the width of a human hair, as ‘nanoprobes’ into cells, the team can detect abnormalities that could lead to tumour growth.

Find out more from Sumeet Mahajan, Associate Professor in Life Science Interface.