Bhatia Lab researchers are breathing new life into their signature protease activity nanosensors. Chemical modifications to synthetic biomarkers (previously used to develop urinary diagnostics for pneumonia and cancer) allow the nanoparticles to release a peptide-based "breath signal" in the presence of respiratory disease. The re-engineered system, described in Nature Nanotechnology, can be used for both diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression or treatment. The researchers are modeling future iterations of the technology on inhalers and breathalyzer tests, and hope to use it to detect specific pathogens such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus.