A SKKU research team led by professor Tae Sung Kim from the School of Mechanical Engineering has succeeded in the development of a sensor which can identify parathyroid hormone using a nano-material complex. Hyeong Woo Kim, a graduate student from Professor Kim’s laboratory and Professor Min Ho Lee and researcher Hye Yoon Kim from the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) have also participated in this research. The concentration of the parathyroid hormone is one of the main indicators of osteoporosis, a disease caused by decrease in the amount and solidity of bones in one’s body. The research team has succeeded in synthesizing two-dimensional nano-materials, graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) through hydrothermal method. Hydrothermal method synthesizes materials by using high-pressure water or hot solutions. By the synergy effect of the two materials, the stability and accuracy of the electrochemical sensor have been improved greatly. The sensor has also gone through a clinical test, examining the serum in the blood of 30 people. The test proved that the result of Professor Kim’s diagnostic method showed close similarities to that of the Roche E170 Modular Analytics. The Roche E170 Modular Analytics is the traditional diagnostic equipment, which is very costly at about a million won. This finding is meaningful in that it has opened up possibilities for reducing costs greatly in diagnosing osteoporosis. Professor Kim said, “the new sensor is expected to contribute to a systematic administration of the disease.” The research was published in the Science Report, an eminent international academic journal, on October 3.