A protein designed to sense metabolites Many diseases cause characteristic changes in blood metabolites. Yu et al. describe a paper-based assay in which a chosen metabolite can be oxidized to generate reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). Color changes in a designed NADPH sensor protein are then quantified by a digital camera. The sensor system successfully generated point-of-care measurements of phenylalanine, glucose, and glutamate. Concentrations of phenylalanine in the blood of phenylketonuria patients were analyzed within minutes with only half a microliter of blood. Science , this issue p. 1122