Evaporation Found to Erode Breath Test Biomarkers

Notre Dame researchers led by Jingcheng Ma show biomarker loss in exhaled breath condensate sampling can occur within a single breath cycle.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Asthma

Clear glass sample vials holding condensed droplets on a steel laboratory bench, with one droplet thinning into faint vapor under cool overhead light. — Researchers at the University of Notre Dame led by Jingcheng Ma found evaporation erodes biomarkers in breath condensate samples within a single breath cycle. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Researchers at the University of Notre Dame led by Jingcheng Ma identified evaporation as a source of biomarker loss in exhaled breath condensate, a non-invasive sampling method, according to research published in Nano Letters on October 7, 2026. The findings address long-standing inconsistencies between repeated measurements that have challenged clinical adoption of the technique.

Why it matters

Exhaled breath condensate offers a low-cost, portable way to collect samples for respiratory disease monitoring, but variable results have made standardization difficult. Identifying evaporation as a driver of biomarker loss gives researchers a concrete mechanism to control for, rather than attributing all variation to biology.

The study used a home-built fluorescence platform to track droplet-level biomarker transport and found that droplet size determines whether significant losses occur. Ambient temperature, humidity, and collection plate temperature remain variables the group has yet to fully characterize.

The players

Jingcheng Ma

Ma is a researcher at the University of Notre Dame who leads the group that developed the biomarker loss model for exhaled breath condensate.

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is a private Catholic research university in South Bend, Indiana, where the study was conducted.

The details

The team built a mathematical model for biomarker loss in single droplets and tracked losses during co-condensation and evaporation using the lab's fluorescence measurement platform. Their work reframes prior measurement variability as a physical process, shifting focus from biological variation alone to gas-liquid phase transition.

October 7, 2026: Original research article published by Notre Dame news office.
November 2, 2026: News article published on news.nd.edu.

Research Trajectory

Exhaled breath condensate has been proposed for decades as an affordable alternative to invasive sampling, but inconsistent repeat measurements have stalled clinical adoption. This work points toward a standardization path by isolating evaporation as a controllable variable.

If standardized, breath-based sampling could offer people with respiratory conditions a non-invasive monitoring option that avoids blood draws or biopsies. Until standardization exists, results from repeated breath tests should be interpreted with caution.

The takeaway

Variability in breath tests may be driven by physics as much as biology, which means many inconsistent results can potentially be controlled. Clinicians and patients should watch for standardization efforts before relying heavily on single breath readings.

What happens next

The group plans to separate the parameters that control variation so a standardization system can be developed, and is seeking partnerships with device developers and medical doctors.