Work

Utilizing Encryption Keys Derived from Immunoaffinity Interactions as a Basis for Potential Security Enhancements

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Bioaffinity interactions allow antibodies and antigens to bind and were shown to successfully produce cryptographic keys for encryption in this research. This straightforward immune-system-based construct has shown that data obtained from immunoassay interactions may be utilized to create symmetrical key ciphers. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the current standard method to encrypt and decrypt data, was implemented to show that biomolecules from immune systems can be applied to cryptography for security enhancements. When the sender and receiver use identical protocols and component concentrations, the symmetrical key ciphers can be encrypted and decrypted. Variable immunoassay concentrations, pH, temperature, and data point sorting protocols applied to encryption systems will prevent key repetition and alleviate the ability for unauthorized system access, which solves prominent issues in cryptography. This concept can also strengthen cryptographic processes by providing additional security levels of varying complexity using other indirect methods with this nontraditional immunoaffinity approach to current cipher algorithms.

Source: ACS Omega

DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c10568

Authors: Abby Cowley, Ashley Newland, Lenka Halámková, Richelle Manson, Jaleigh Morales, Jan Halámek

Institution: Texas Tech University

Language: English

Topic: Artificial Immune Systems Applications

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,935

Funder: Texas Tech University