LNNano/CNPEM study on electrochemical sensors that can assess the effect of chemotherapy in breast cancer cells recognized at SIBEE
Bruna Gabrielle Olsen Pinto, a chemist and PhD student working at the Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano) at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), received the award for best oral presentation in the category “Innovations in Electrochemistry and Electroanalytics” during the XXV Brazilian Symposium on Electrochemistry and Electroanalytics (SIBEE), considered the country’s largest congress in this field. The event took place October 20–23 in Águas de Lindóia, São Paulo.
The award-winning work centers on developing microfluidic electrochemical sensors that can quickly assess the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in cells from breast cancer patients. The concept involves growing tumor cells in a two-dimensional (2D) model directly on the surface of the chip’s sensors, creating a test platform that simulates the response of each patient’s cells to different treatments on a laboratory scale.
“The sensor we are developing combines chips with multiple sensors obtained via micro/nanofabrication techniques, rapid electrochemical measurements and machine learning models to interpret the data generated by the sensors. With this integration, we can estimate the viability of the cells and calculate important pharmacological parameters like the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀), which indicates the efficacy of different tested chemotherapy agents,” said Bruna Olsen.
One objective of the project, which is being carried out at CNPEM under the guidance of LNNano researcher Renato Sousa Lima, is to develop a sensor capable of speeding up and personalizing definition of chemotherapy protocols, making it possible to identify which drugs have the greatest therapeutic potential, non-invasively and in real time.
“The goal is to more quickly and more effectively define chemotherapy treatment for patients, so they can receive personalized treatment that is more therapeutically efficient with fewer side effects,” explained Lima.
The study is conducted in partnership with research groups led by Sandra Dias of the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio/CNPEM) and Roger Chammas of the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP), and support from the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP). Publication of the initial results of the research, which began in July 2025, is expected during the first half of 2027.
About LNNano
The Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano) works in research and development at the nano scale using sophisticated infrastructure and highly specialized teams that can search for answers to scientific challenges and leverage technology solutions. Its open facilities comprise a center that is unrivaled in Brazil and include electron and atomic force microscopy, as well as clean rooms and laboratory spaces that allow activities ranging from materials synthesis and characterization to device manufacturing. Scientific research at LNNano covers strategic topics where nanoscience and nanotechnology can help solve problems facing the country, in areas like renewable energy, materials for sustainability, health and quantum devices. LNNano is part of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, a private, non-profit organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) houses a cutting-edge, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment, with actions in different areas of the National Science, Technology and Innovation System. A Social Organization supervised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials and sustainability. Responsible for Sirius, the largest scientific equipment ever built in the country, CNPEM currently develops the Orion project, a laboratory complex for advanced research on pathogens. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructures open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects with the productive sector and training of researchers and students constitute the pillars of this unique center in the country, capable of acting as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. The CNPEM is responsible for the operation of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano) and the Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), as well as for the Ilum School of Science, a bachelor’s degree course in Science and Technology, supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC). https://cnpem.br/