Mining bacteria parts to build around-the-clock biosensors

Imagine a Fitbit that measures much more than steps, heart rate, and calories burned. It continually tracks all of the indicators of physiological health that currently require expensive and time-consuming analyses of blood plasma. The device is inexpensive, reliable, and powered by the same proteins that our bodies produce all day, every day. Although it sounds like a far-fetched concept by today’s standards, James Galagan, a Boston University biomedical engineer, says research conducted in his lab could speed that device along from the drawing board to our daily lives.