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Fingerprint profiling human gut microbiota through boronic acid-based sensor array and its application on colorectal
Kuicheng Zhao1, Xiaohua Zhu2, Feng Liu1
1Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, P. R. China.
Nature Communications
|April 8, 2026
Summary
A novel boronic acid sensor array, GUT-SCAN, rapidly profiles gut microbiota. This affordable technology accurately distinguishes bacteria and aids in diagnosing colorectal cancer (CRC) at various stages.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- The gut microbiota is integral to human health and disease.
- Current microbiota profiling methods are expensive, slow, and require specialized equipment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid, cost-effective sensor array for human gut microbiota profiling.
- To assess the sensor array's utility in detecting colorectal cancer (CRC) biomarkers and stages.
Main Methods:
- Development of an 18-channel sensor array (GUT-SCAN) using pH-responsive boronic acid derivatives.
- Testing the array across three pH environments (6.0, 7.4, 8.2) for bacterial discrimination.
- Evaluating the array's performance in quantifying specific bacteria and differentiating CRC stages.
Main Results:
- The GUT-SCAN array achieved 100% accuracy in distinguishing gut-derived bacteria.
- The array successfully quantified bacterial species linked to colorectal cancer (CRC).
- The sensor array could discriminate between different stages of CRC.
Conclusions:
- GUT-SCAN offers a simple, rapid, and affordable platform for microbiota analysis.
- This technology shows significant potential for disease diagnostics, especially for CRC.
- The sensor array enables precise identification of bacterial compositions and disease states.
