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A team of researchers from NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), led by Associate Professor Shao Huilin and Associate Professor Brian Lim, has developed a first-of-its-kind technology to map out diverse protein interactions in cells using DNA barcodes.

The technology, dubbed TETRIS, can explicitly identify and quantify multiple interacting partners in large protein assemblies. By capturing the complex hierarchy of protein interactions within tumor cells, the technology uncovers detailed molecular mechanisms driving disease progression. This enables more precise diagnostics, allowing for the accurate sub-typing of cancers and the identification of aggressive forms of the disease in just a few hours, which was not possible previously.

Further, TETRIS provides vital insights from which doctors can tailor therapeutic strategies to individual patients. For instance, identifying the specific proteins and their interactions that contribute to cancer growth can lead to targeted therapies that improve patient outcomes.

The team's findings were published in Nature Biomedical Engineering on 19 June 2024. The first authors of the study are Dr. Liu Yu and Dr. Noah Sundah. Both are research fellows from NUS iHealthtech.

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