Programmable bio-nano-chip system: a flexible diagnostic platform that learns.

Over the past few decades, the use of biomarkers has become increasingly intrinsic to the practice of medicine and clinical decisionmaking. Clinically validated biomarkers-whether nucleic acid, protein, or metabolite—provide health care providers and clinicians a means to quickly and objectively measure, track, and diagnose a patient’s past and present physiological state for a wide range of conditions. As a result, biomarkers help patients receive appropriate care, which in turn helps reduce healthcare costs [1,2]. Biomarker-based tests are typically developed by diagnostic companies, and are often purchased and performed by medical testing companies. Biomarkers also aid pharmaceutical companies in quickly and efficiently screening their candidate drug products for dosing, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy, thus simultaneously speeding up development and lowering the costs of drug. Upstream in the R&D continuum, early-stage researchers look for biomarkers to help better understand disease etiologies.