Biosensing Team Twente (BTT) has received official recognition as a student team at the University of Twente. The multidisciplinary group of students aims to contribute to the thriving biosensing technology ecosystem in Twente. The new student team will support the UT team competing at the international student competition SensUs, themed on sensor technology for health.
The University of Twente has participated in the last 4 editions of the international SensUs competition, organised by TU/e. This year, the team receives official recognition as a student team. Diana S. Andreoli, UT SensUs team co-captain, research team lead, co-founder, and board member of the new team, says: “After a year of relentless effort, with an award won at the competition, we are proud that this year we officially become the ninth student team at the University of Twente. This marks a significant milestone in our journey to increase the student visibility at UT in the field of biosensing.
UT-wide effort
In their efforts to create a cutting-edge biosensor, the student team makes use of the laboratories and research groups that compose the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology. The students feel fortunate to have been able to work hand in hand with researchers from diverse groups at UT. Diana adds: “Their expertise and support have propelled our effort in developing our biosensor, and we extend our sincere gratitude to these esteemed groups”.
Creating a business case
As well as developing a novel biosensing concept each year, the students work on developing a business case to aid clinical translation. Therefore, students engage with stakeholders, experts, and companies to analyse a problem, understand the use case, and propose an innovative solution. Now, with the creation of Biosensing Team Twente, new opportunities for industry collaboration open up. “We want to secure our first industrial sponsors with a strategic role in the team and its ecosystem”, says Thomas J. Martens, UT SensUs team co-captain, business team lead, and co-founder of the new team.
Pioneering teams
Reflecting on the unique allure of the University of Twente’s student teams, Roman Koval, UT SensUs 2023 core student, co-founder, and board member for Biosensing Team Twente: "Two years ago, when searching for a university abroad, I was drawn by UT's dynamic student teams pioneering technology. Now, alongside my fellow students on the Board, we are proud to introduce a new student team to our university!"
Biosensing Team Twente
Biosensing Team Twente wants to place itself at the forefront of biosensing technology, promoting point-of-care diagnostics and continuous biosensing and strengthening the UT ecosystem in the field. Biosensing Team Twente is the ninth official student team of the University of Twente. Diana S. Andreoli, Roman Koval, Thomas J. Martens, and Jan Pieter de Rie, four dedicated students who were integral members of last year's team, have carried forward their passion and commitment. This year, they comprise the founding board of BTT, diligently working towards establishing it as the official student team of the university.
More information
For the 2023 SensUs competition, the team had to develop a biosensor able to detect traumatic brain injury (TBI) by measuring a molecule called GFAP. The 2023 team developed an open-source instrument with integrated controls on a touch screen, capable of running an assay, monitoring the biomarker by measuring the impedance response and integrated data analysis. Along with UT supervisory staff, the students developed a viable business case in the fields of elite sports. In many sports, traumatic brain injuries go unnoticed but do lead to lasting consequences. Biosensing Team Twente’s biosensor can detect TBI early and make diagnostics more accessible, so elite sporters can get optimal care as soon as possible.
SensUs competition
Driven by their enthusiasm for cutting-edge biosensors, the team of 2024, consisting of fifteen students with varied backgrounds, is actively planning their participation at SensUs 2024. SensUs is a yearly international student competition on sensors for health. By involving students, industry, and health partners we strive to accelerate the development of sensors for better healthcare. The chosen theme of the SensUs Challenge 2024 is kidney failure, or acute kidney injury (AKI), focusing on diagnosis through monitoring creatinine as the biomarker. Participating teams are challenged to design a continuous biosensor capable of early detection and monitoring of AKI, marking a significant advancement in healthcare diagnostics and patient care.
The team of 2023, which laid the foundation for our journey, consisted of the following students: Diana S. Andreoli, Thomas J. Martens, Roman Koval, Rory W. C. D. Timmerman, Jan Pieter de Rie, Pablo Jiménez Chillón, Miķelis Putnieks, Vishal Tuli, Maud Westerbeek, Elena Antonioli, and Thomas van Poppel. Their dedication and contributions have been essential in shaping our vision and goals as we work to pioneer biosensing technology at the University of Twente.
