REcognition by SEquential Tagging (RESET)

The REcognition by SEquential Tagging (RESET) project, awarded by the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek under the agency Toegepaste en Technische Wetenschappen, focuses on improving the detection of specific DNA mutations in liquid biopsies such as blood, urine, and saliva. The initiative addresses the challenge of identifying rare mutant DNA strands among a high volume of unmutated strands, which is critical for early cancer diagnosis and the monitoring of treatment efficacy. To achieve this, the project proposes a highly selective labeling method based on Hopfield kinetic proofreading that attaches a nucleic acid tag to mutated DNA for subsequent purification or detection. This isothermal and PCR-compatible process is designed for seamless integration into existing diagnostic pipelines, aiming to significantly enhance selectivity without compromising sensitivity.