Oliver Bannach

Dr. Oliver Bannach is a Team Leader at the Institute of Physical Biology within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). His research focuses on the development of ultrasensitive biomarker detection technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD).

• Specializes in quantifying amyloid β (Aβ) and tau protein aggregates using the proprietary surface-based fluorescence intensity distribution analysis (sFIDA) method.
• Collaborates with colleagues like Prof. Dr. Dieter Willbold and Dr. Tuyen Bujnicki in advancing sFIDA for clinical diagnostics.
• Works on distinguishing pathogenic protein aggregates from monomers and improving sensitivity for early AD diagnosis via blood or body fluid testing.

The sFIDA assay, originally developed for prion diseases, enables single-particle-level quantification of Aβ aggregates by fluorescence microscopy. This approach overcomes limitations of traditional ELISA by blocking monomer interference and using dual-channel fluorescence for specificity. Applications include early AD diagnostics, therapy monitoring in clinical trials, and correlation of aggregate concentrations with cognitive decline.