Label-free quantification of cystatin C as an improved marker for renal failure

A label-free biosensor has been developed, allowing quantification of cystatin C in human serum. This was achieved by using reflectometric interference spectroscopy as detection method. Cystatin C is a small serum protein that allows detection of renal failure more reliably than established parameters as creatinine. The protein was immobilized on the surface of a glass transducer, forming the sensitive layer of the sensor chip. Based on a binding-inhibition assay, two different types of monoclonal cystatin C antibodies were compared, by their behavior and their obtained working range in buffer and serum as matrix. Both antibodies allowed quantification of the protein in serum as matrix within the required clinical ranges of 0.53–1.02 mg/L. Detected recovery rates are in a range between 84.8% and 116.1%. The developed sensor shows high inner chip reproducibility and low cross-sensitivity.     

Portable chemiluminescence multiplex biosensor for quantitative detection of three B19 DNA genotypes

A miniaturized multiplex biosensor exploiting a microfluidic oligonucleotide array and chemiluminescence (CL) lensless imaging detection has been developed for parvovirus B19 genotyping. The portable device consists of a reaction chip, comprising a glass slide arrayed with three B19 genotype-specific probes and coupled with a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic layer, and a charge-coupled device camera modified for lensless CL imaging. Immobilized probes were used in DNA hybridization reactions with biotin-labeled targets, and then hybrids were measured by means of an avidin-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugate and CL detection. All hybridization assay procedures have been optimized to be performed at room temperature through the microfluidic elements of the reaction chip, with sample and reagents delivery via capillary force exploiting adsorbent pads to drive fluids along the microchannels. The biosensor enabled multiplex detection of all B19 genotypes, with detectability down to 80 pmol?L^?1 for all B19 genotype oligonucleotides and 650 pmol?L^?1 for the amplified product of B19 genotype 1, which is comparable with that obtained in traditional PCR-ELISA formats and with notably shorter assay time (30 min vs. 2 h). The specificity of the assay has been evaluated by performing DNA–DNA hybridization reactions among sequences with different degrees of homology, and no cross hybridizations among B19 genotypes have been observed. The clinical applicability has been demonstrated by assaying amplified products obtained from B19 reference serum samples, with results completely consistent with the reference PCR-ELISA method. The next crucial step will be integration in the biosensor of a miniaturized PCR system for DNA amplification and for heat treatment of amplified products.

Microbial fuel cell-based self-powered biosensing platform for determination of ketamine as an anesthesia drug in clinical serum samples

A novel self-powered DNA biosensor was successfully developed based on a dual-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) apparatus as a power supply and ketamine (KET) as a hybridization indicator. A graphite electrode coated with gold nanoparticles (GNP/graphite electrode), which provided larger surface area for immobilization of thiolated single-stranded (ssDNA) probe, was used as biocathode in the MFC system. When KET was used as the hybridization indicator for detection of ssDNA probe, the indicator exhibited excellent selectivity in detecting and discriminating the complementary, single-base mismatched, and noncomplementary target sequences. Furthermore, this self-powered biosensor based on MFC apparatus served as the biosensing platform for determination of KET in clinical serum samples. Under the steady-state operation condition, the difference between power densities of the ssDNA probe-modified GNP/graphite cathode in the absence and presence of accumulated KET (ΔP) served as the detection signal with a detection limit of 0.54 nM. The proposed MFC-based self-powered biosensor, as a low-cost portable device, showed a high sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility. Therefore, it can become a promising platform for determination of KET in clinical researches.     

A Direct Electrochemical Detection Method of Melanoma Based on Melanoma Biomarker

A new method of detecting and diagnosing melanoma based on melanoma biomarker was developed and its feasibility demonstrated. The method is based on an electrochemical biosensor platform comprised of a special biochip and device, performing a multi‐channel amperometric detection of the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase, an enzyme biomarker of melanoma. The newly developed biosensor platform is able to electrochemically detect tyrosinase activity in fresh biopsy samples. This bioelectrochemical detection method is rapid, yielding results within minutes from biopsy removal. Using “as is” biopsy samples, without pretreatment, simplifies the process, saves time and reduces cost and labor dramatically. Using modern portable microelectronics provides an accurate biomarker expression measurement at the “point of care” increasing the accessibility of new bio‐chip technologies to the public.     

Glucose Biosensor Based on the Fabrication of Glucose Oxidase in the Bio-Inspired Polydopamine-Gold Nanoparticle Composite Film

A highly efficient enzyme immobilization method has been developed for electrochemical biosensors using polydopamine films with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded. This simple enzyme fabrication method can be performed in very mild conditions and stored in a long time with high bioactivity. The fabricated amperometric glucose biosensor exhibited a high and reproducible sensitivity, wide linear dynamic range and low limit of detection (LOD) (0.1 μmol·L^?1). A low value of 1.5 mmol·L^?1 for the apparent Michaelis‐Menten constant K^app_M was obtained. The high sensitivity, wide linear range, good reproducibility and stability make this biosensor a promising candidate for portable amperometric glucose biosensor.     

Chemiluminescence microfluidic system sensor on a chip for determination of glucose in human serum with immobilized reagents

A chemiluminescence (CL) biosensor on a chip coupled to microfluidic system is described in this paper. The CL biosensor measured 25×45×5 mm in dimension, was readily produced in analytical laboratory. Glucose oxidase (GOD) was immobilized onto controlled-pore glass (CPG) via glutaraldehyde activation and packed into a reservoir. The analytical reagents, including luminol and ferricyanide, were electrostatically co-immobilized on an anion-exchange resin. The most characteristic of the biosensor was to introduce the air as the carrier flow in stead of the common solution carrier for the first. The glucose was sensed by the CL reaction between hydrogen peroxide produced from the enzymatic reaction and CL reagents, which were released from the anion-exchange resin. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human serum. The linear range of the glucose concentration was 1.1-110 mM and the detection limit was 0.1 mM (3σ).     

Amperometric biosensor based on immobilization of acetylcholinesterase via specific binding on biocompatible boronic acid-functionalized Fe@Au magnetic nanoparticles

A new method based on specific binding between glycoprotein acetylcholinesterase and boronic acid-functionalized Fe@Au magnetic nanoparticles was presented for the development of acetylcholinesterase biosensor. Alginate–graphene composite-modified electrode was firstly prepared as the substrate. Then, biocompatible boronic acid-functionalized Fe@Au magnetic nanoparticles were anchored by the covalence between the cis-diol of alginate and the boronic acid group on Fe@Au nanoparticles. Acetylcholinesterase was subsequently immobilized via the bonding between the glycosyl of acetylcholinesterase and the boronic acid group. The immobilized enzyme retained relatively high bioactivity and the fabricated biosensor exhibited high sensitivity and fast response to acetylthiocholine chloride. Based on enzyme inhibition, carbamate pesticide was detected using Furadan as a model compound. Two linear ranges of 0.05–15 and 15–400?ppb were obtained with a detection limit of 0.01?ppb. The biosensor also showed acceptable reproducibility and relatively good storage stability. Moreover, satisfactory results were obtained in the real sample analysis.     

A Bioinspired Peptide in TIR Protein as Recognition Molecule on Electrochemical Biosensors for the Detection of E. coli O157:H7 in an Aqueous Matrix

Currently, the detection of pathogens such as Escherichia coli through instrumental alternatives with fast response and excellent sensitivity and selectivity are being studied. Biosensors are systems consisting of nanomaterials and biomolecules that exhibit remarkable properties such as simplicity, portable, affordable, user‑friendly, and deliverable to end‑users. For this, in this work we report for the first time, to our knowledge, the bioinformatic design of a new peptide based on TIR protein, a receptor of Intimin membrane protein which is characteristic of E. coli. This peptide (named PEPTIR‑1.0) was used as recognition element in a biosensor based on AuNPs‑modified screen‑printed electrodes for the detection of E. coli. The morphological and electrochemical characteristics of the biosensor obtained were studied. Results show that the biosensor can detect the bacteria with limits of detection and quantification of 2 and 6 CFU/mL, respectively. Moreover, the selectivity of the system is statistically significant towards the detection of the pathogen in the presence of other microorganisms such as P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. This makes this new PEPTIR‑1.0 based biosensor can be used in the rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of E. coli in aqueous matrices.     

A Au nanoparticle and polydopamine co-modified biosensor: A strategy for in situ and label-free surface plasmon resonance immunoassays

This article reports a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) strategy capable of label-free yet amplified in situ immunoassays for sensitive and specific detection of human IgG (hIgG), a serum marker that is important for the diagnosis of certain diseases. Primarily, a wavelength-modulated Kretschman configuration SPR analyzer was constructed, and Au film SPR biosensor chips were fabricated. Specifically, based on Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) adsorbed on the surface of the Au film, the AuNP/Au film was coated with polydopamine (PDA) to fix streptavidin (SA), and then the biotinylated antibodies were connected to the surface of the biosensor chip. The SPR analyzer was utilized for in situ real-time monitoring of hIgG. Due to the immunological recognition between the receptor and target, the surface plasmon waves produced by the attenuated total reflection were affected by the changes in the surface of the biosensor chip. The resonance wavelength (λ_R) of the output spectra gradually redshifted, and the redshift degrees were directly related to the target concentration. The biosensor can realize the in situ detection of hIgG, displaying satisfactory sensitivity, excellent specificity and stability. Briefly, by monitoring the shift in λ_R after specific binding, a new SPR immunoassay can be customized for label-free, in situ and amplified hIgG detection. The operating principle of this research could be extended as a common protocol for many other targets of interest.     

DNA-directed protein immobilization on mixed self-assembled monolayers via a streptavidin bridge

The simultaneous detection of multiple analytes is an important consideration for the advancement of biosensor technology. Currently, few sensor systems possess the capability to accurately and precisely detect multiple antigens. This work presents a simple approach for the functionalization of sensor surfaces suitable for multichannel detection. This approach utilizes self-assembled monolayer (SAM) chemistry to create a nonfouling, functional sensor platform based on biotinylated single-stranded DNA immobilized via a streptavidin bridge to a mixed SAM of biotinylated alkanethiol and oligo(ethylene glycol). Nonspecific binding is minimized with the nonfouling background of the sensor surface. A usable protein chip is generated by applying protein-DNA conjugates which are directed to specific sites on the sensor chip surface by utilizing the specificity of DNA hybridization. The described platform is demonstrated in a custom-built surface plasmon resonance biosensor. The detection capabilities of a sensor using this protein array have been characterized using human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The platform shows a higher sensitivity in detection of hCG than that observed using biotinylated antibodies. Results also show excellent specificity in protein immobilization to the proper locations in the array. The vast number of possible DNA sequences combine with the selectivity of base-pairing makes this platform an excellent candidate for a sensor capable of multichannel protein detection.     

Aberrant sialylation of a prostate-specific antigen: Electrochemical label-free glycoprofiling in prostate cancer serum samples

Electrochemical detection method allowing to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a biomarker of prostate cancer (PCa), with PSA glycoprofiling was applied in an analysis of PCa serum samples for the first time. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a label-free method with immobilized anti-PSA was applied for PSA detection and lectins to glycoprofile captured PSA on the same surface. A proper choice of blocking agent providing high selectivity of biosensor detection with the immobilized anti-PSA antibody was done. The biosensor could detect PSA down to 100 ag/mL with a linear concentration working range from 100 ag/mL up to 1 μg/mL, i.e. 10 orders of concentration magnitude and the sensitivity of (5.5 ± 0.2)%/decade. The results showed that a commercial carbo-free blocking solution was the best one, reducing non-specific binding 55-fold when compared to the immunosensor surface without any blocking agent applied, while allowing to detect PSA. The biosensor response obtained after addition of lectin (i.e. proportional to the amount of a particular glycan on PSA) divided by the biosensor response obtained after incubation with a sample (i.e. proportional to the PSA level in the sample) was applied to distinguish serum samples of PCa patients from those of healthy individuals. The results showed that Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) recognizing α-2,3-terminal sialic acid can be applied to distinguish between these two sets of samples since the MAA/PSA response obtained from the analysis of the PCa samples was significantly higher (5.3-fold) compared to the MAA/PSA response obtained by the analysis of samples from healthy individuals. Thus, combined analysis of serological PSA levels together with PSA glycoprofiling of aberrant glycosylation of PSA (i.e. increase in the level of α-2,3-terminal sialic acid) has a potential to improve detection of PCa.     

Acetone extracted propolis as a novel membrane and its application in phenol biosensors: the case of catechol

A novel biosensor for catechol has been constructed by immobilizing polyphenol oxidase (PPO) into acetone-extracted propolis (AEP) composite modified with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and attached to multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) on a gold electrode surface. The propolis for AEP was obtained from honeybee colonies. Under the optimum conditions, this method could be successfully used for the amperometric determination of catechol within a concentration range of 1 × 10^?6 to 5 × 10^?4?M, with a detection limit of 8 × 10^?7?M (S/N = 3). The effects of pH and operating potential are also explored to optimize the measurement conditions. The best response was obtained at pH?5, while an optimum ratio of signal-to-noise (S/N) was obtained at ?20?mV (versus Ag/AgCl), which was selected as the applied potential for the amperometric measurements. All subsequent experiments were performed at pH?5. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to characterize the PPO/CNTs/GNPs/AEP/Au biosensor. The biosensor also exhibited good selectivity, stability, and reproducibility.     

Laccase-based amperometric biosensor enhanced by Ni/Au/PPy-COOH multisegmental nanowires for selective dopamine detection

One-dimensional Ni/Au/PPy-COOH nanowires with multiple segments were synthesized in this study. Smooth surfaces and magnetic properties of nanowires were investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) techniques. The nanowires were used to modify the screen-printed electrode surface and as a micro-environment for Trametes versicolor laccase. The ability of this enzyme biosensor to detect dopamine change in human biological samples was demonstrated by a wide linear range (0.01–50 μM) and a low LOD (2.265 nM). In addition, the biosensor exhibited excellent selectivity allowing the detection of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid, uric acid, L-Cys, serotonin, and glucose, with high sensitivity of reduction currents obtained at −0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The proposed biosensor allowed the detection of dopamine in commercial serum and artificial urine with recovery values close to 100 %. It also demonstrated reproducibility, reusability, and long-term storage stability. The sensitivity, K_m^app, and I_max values of the biosensor were determined as 2.05 μM and 1.03 μA, respectively. The LAC-Ni/Au/PPy-COOH/NAF/SPE biosensor is a reliable design for detecting dopamine with a wide linear range.     

Micromachined detectors for an enzyme-based FIA

Micromachining techniques were applied to construct biosensor systems. The micromachined biosensors have small size, low production cost, and good reproducibility. We made some detection units for flow injection analysis (FIA). An electrochemical flow cell was fabricated, and both the enzyme immobilized column and electrochemical detector were integrated onto the same chip. A chemiluminescence detector was also fabricated and applied to the determination of glucose and lactic acid contained in human serum and urine.     

Determination of human growth hormone in human serum samples by surface plasmon resonance immunoassay

A surface plasmon resonance immunoassay has been developed to determine human growth hormone (hGH) directly and without pre-treatment in human serum samples. A binding inhibition immunoassay was employed. Antibody concentration, assay buffer and regeneration solution have been optimized in order to reach the best performance and the lower non-specific binding of the matrix components to the sensor surface. The lowest detection limit was 6 ng/mL, with a working range covering the physiological range. Reproducibility of the assay was excellent with both intra-assay and inter-assay relative standard deviations <5%, while a variation of 2.19% was obtained employing different sensor chips. Reutilization of the sensor surface allows its continuous use over 50 measurements with a signal drop <20%. The SPR immunoassay results were validated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showing an excellent correlation (R² = 0.985). A portable and fully automated system (Sensia SL) was employed in this work. This is the first SPR biosensor assay capable of detecting relevant concentrations of a clinical analyte in serum. This study shows the potentials of this device as a diagnostic tool for the detection of multiple clinical analytes.     

A DNA-based piezoelectric biosensor: strategies for coupling nucleic acids to piezoelectric devices

A DNA-based piezoelectric biosensor has been here studied in terms of probe immobilisation and DNA sample pre-treatment. The biosensor is specific for the detection of the mecA gene of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).Methicillin-resistant S. aureus is responsible of several infections in humans, like pneumonia, meningitis and endocarditic. MRSA is also a major cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide. The antibiotics resistance is conferred by the gene mecA, codifying for an anomalous protein.Two different immobilisation procedures of the probe specific for mecA gene are reported: immobilisation via streptavidin-biotin interaction and direct immobilisation of thiolated probes.After the study with synthetic oligonucleotides, the system has been applied to the analysis of bacterial DNA from MRSA, amplified by polymerase chain reaction. These samples were pre-treated with two different denaturation procedures and the performances of the sensor in the two cases were compared.The two immobilisation methods and denaturation protocols were here used to study the influences of these parameters on the performances of the sensor, applied here to the detection of the mecA gene. Better results in terms of sensitivity and reproducibility were obtained when using the biotinylated probe and the PCR-amplified samples treated by a denaturation procedures involving the use of high temperature and blocking oligonucleotides.     

Surface plasmon resonance immunosensor for bacteria detection

This work describes an approach for the development of two bacteria biosensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. The first biosensor was based on functionalized gold substrate and the second one on immobilized gold nanoparticles. For the first biosensor, the gold substrate was functionalized with acid-thiol using the self-assembled monolayer technique, while the second one was functionalized with gold nanoparticles immobilized on modified gold substrate. A polyclonal anti-Escherichia coli antibody was immobilized for specific (E. coli) and non-specific (Lactobacillus) bacteria detection. Detection limit with a good reproducibility of 10⁴ and 10³ cfu mL⁻¹ of E. coli bacteria has been obtained for the first biosensor and for the second one respectively. A refractive index variation below 5 × 10⁻³ due to bacteria adsorption is able to be detected. The refractive index of the multilayer structure and of the E. coli bacteria layer was estimated with a modeling software.     

Development of a surface plasmon resonance-based assay for the detection of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in sheep

Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a disease affecting sheep and goats, is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and is difficult to detect, especially at early stages in its development. A surface plasmon resonance-based biosensor assay for the detection of antibodies to the phospholipase D (PLD) exotoxin of C. pseudotuberculosis in sheep serum was successfully generated. It employed a recombinant form of PLD, which was immobilised, and all aspects of the assay including minimisation of non-specific binding, and the regeneration of the chip, were optimised. The applicability of the assay was initially demonstrated using sera collected from experimentally infected sheep and from sheep with no prior history of infection. The assay was then evaluated on a panel of clinical samples and the results obtained compared very favourably to those obtained by a double sandwich ELISA (over 90% similarity) and clearly verified its analytical value.     

A novel Au–Ag–Pt three-electrode microchip sensing platform for chromium(VI) determination

A simple, rapid and portable electrochemical microchip sensing platform has been successfully constructed for chromium(VI) determination. Gold–silver–platinum (Au–Ag–Pt) three-material electrodes (gold as working electrode, silver as reference electrode and platinum as counter electrode) were integrated on one poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate by polymer compatible photolithography process. The three-electrode microchip sensing platform was used for Cr(VI) determination for the first time, and exhibited high sensitivity and good reproducibility. A wide linear range from 2 to 200 μM with a good linear correlation (R² = 0.998) was obtained, and the detection limit was 0.9 μM. In addition, the practical analytical application of the sensing micro-platform was assessed by determination of Cr(VI) in real water samples with satisfactory results. Armed with the remarkable advantages, such as ease of use, low analyte consumption, inexpensive cost and fast response time, the microchip sensing platform may hold great potential for the high-throughput and in-field environmental monitoring Cr(VI) pollutant.     

A new genosensor for meningococcal meningitis diagnosis using biological samples

In this work, a new electrochemical biosensor for DNA detection of bacterial meningitis is proposed. The system is based on specific DNA fragments from the Neisseria meningitidis genome as a probe incorporated on graphite electrodes modified with poly(4-aminophenol). Detection of a complementary oligonucleotide sequence, a specific 710-base pair amplicon, and the genomic DNA of bacteria was carried out by differential pulse voltammetry, using ethidium bromide as an electroactive indicator of hybridization. The complementary oligonucleotide and the genomic DNA of Neisseria meningitidis were quantified by the genosensor, showing detection limits of 0.6 ng μL^?1 and about 6 ng μL^?1, respectively. Morphological differences were observed between hybridized and unhybridized surfaces by atomic force microscopy. The biosensor showed high selectivity, discriminating non-specific targets, and high stability retaining over 98% of its original activity after 120 days of storage. The bioelectrode was effective in discriminating the genomic DNA in samples with human serum without significant interference, proving to be an interesting platform for meningococcal meningitis diagnosis.