A Photonic Crystal Protein Hydrogel Sensor for Candida albicans |
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Authors: | Dr Zhongyu Cai Daniel H Kwak David Punihaole Dr Zhenmin Hong Prof Sachin S Velankar Prof Xinyu Liu Prof Sanford A Asher |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (USA);2. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (USA) |
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Abstract: | We report two‐dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) sensing materials that selectively detect Candida albicans (C. albicans). These sensors utilize Concanavalin A (Con A) protein hydrogels with a 2D PC embedded on the Con A protein hydrogel surface, that multivalently and selectively bind to mannan on the C. albicans cell surface to form crosslinks. The resulting crosslinks shrink the Con A protein hydrogel, reduce the 2D PC particle spacing, and blue‐shift the light diffracted from the PC. The diffraction shifts can be visually monitored, measured with a spectrometer, or determined from the Debye diffraction ring diameter. Our unoptimized hydrogel sensor has a detection limit of around 32 CFU/mL for C. albicans. This sensor distinguishes between C. albicans and those microbes devoid of cell‐surface mannan such as the gram‐negative bacterium E. coli. This sensor provides a proof‐of‐concept for utilizing recognition between lectins and microbial cell surface carbohydrates to detect microorganisms in aqueous environments. |
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Keywords: | gels microbes photonic crystals proteins sensors |
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