SIMAIS: A swarm intelligence inspired biosensor for rapid protein detection

Swarm intelligence, the collective behaviour of animals such as birds, fish, and ants, arises from simple local interactions and enables survival, efficient foraging, and decision-making without central control. Inspired by this principle, we aimed to harness swarm intelligence for biosensing applications. Conventional assays often struggle with limited sensitivity, long processing times, and the need for specialised instruments, restricting their use in decentralised healthcare. Here we developed a swarm intelligence of microbead-inspired, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted, and smartphone-based (SIMAIS) biosensing platform that can transform invisible molecular recognition into visible, macroscale patterns. Millions of antibody-coated magnetic microbeads (MBs) organise into magnetically induced structures upon binding protein biomarkers, with the resulting patterns correlating directly to biomarker concentration. Using interferon-gamma (IFN-{gamma}) as a model biomarker, we demonstrate that this approach delivers results within 10 minutes and achieves a tenfold increase in sensitivity compared to conventional lateral flow assays. Robust performance in human serum and urine confirms clinical applicability. By mimicking natural swarm behaviour, this platform introduces a new biosensing paradigm that bridges biology and engineering. Its versatility, speed, and ease of use highlight its potential for decentralised diagnostics, early disease detection, and broader applications in point-of-care healthcare.