Scientists from the IRR Chemistry Hub and the School of Chemistry at The University of Edinburgh have developed an innovative method to detect small biological particles in blood samples. This opens new possibilities for earlier and more accurate disease diagnosis. Extracellular vesicle detected by labelled antibodies (green and red fluorophores) against surface proteins Researchers at The University of Edinburgh have created a new technique called VISTA (Vesicle Imaging by Single-molecule TCCD Analysis), which allows scientists to characterise tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are released by cells into the blood. This new tool is of huge potential, offering an easy way to obtain information from patient blood samples, without the need for invasive biopsies. Noelia Pelegrina-Hidalgo Lead co-author and PhD student We introduce a marker‑based approach that accurately measures extracellular vesicles (EVs), which makes it easier to analyse their contents consistently and reproducibly - a key advantage as EVs are very diverse. Tianxiao Zhao Lead co-author and PhD student EVs carry molecular information of their cells of origin and are increasingly recognised as potential biomarkers for diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and infections. However, because EVs are highly variable, and similar in size to other particles in the blood, they have been difficult to study using traditional methods.This new approach combines fluorescent labelling (to make EVs glow), microfluidics (a system that manipulates very small liquid samples using small channels), and high-resolution microscopy (to visualise single molecules). Unlike conventional techniques, VISTA can find EVs at extremely low levels without needing to first purify them from blood. It can also tell EVs apart from other similar particles, making the measurements much more accurate. This represents a new area of research for us, which was made possible through interdisciplinary collaborations formed at the IRR. We’re now excited to start using the approach to look at specific EVs related to diseases, so that earlier diagnoses can be made. Professor Mathew Horrocks Senior author from the IRR Chemistry Hub and the School of Chemistry and IRR Group Leader The team demonstrated that VISTA can profile EVs from as little as 3 microlitres of patient blood and works with multiple surface markers, making it highly adaptable for different EV subtypes. The work was funded by Medical Research Scotland, the Eureka Foundation, the Motor Neuron Disease Association, and the Leverhulme Trust. Read the full article in Small MethodsIRR Chemistry HubThe Edinburgh Single-Molecule Biophysics GroupHorrocks research group Tags CIR Publication date 01 Sep, 2025
