Micromechanical PDGF recognition via lab-on-a-disc aptasensor arrays

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Biosensing

Background:

• Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is crucial in cellular processes, making its accurate detection vital for diagnostics.
• Existing methods for PDGF detection can be complex and lack real-time capabilities.
• Microcantilever-based biosensors offer high sensitivity and potential for miniaturization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a plug-and-play biosensing platform for the statistical detection of PDGF proteins.
• To improve the performance of microcantilever arrays for real-time measurements under continuous liquid flow and temperature control.
• To demonstrate the capability of the system for detecting clinically relevant concentrations of PDGF.

Main Methods:

• Utilized aptamer-based surface functionalization of multiple microcantilever arrays.
• Employed a modified commercial DVD-ROM device for optical read-out of cantilever deflections.
• Implemented continuous liquid flow, temperature control, and optimized scanning for nanometer-scale resolution.
• Performed statistical measurements on 100 microcantilevers across a range of PDGF concentrations (10 nM to 400 nM).

Main Results:

• Successfully detected PDGF proteins with nanometer-scale resolution.
• Demonstrated reliable characterization of the averaged mechanical response of cantilevers as a function of PDGF concentration.
• Validated the platform's capability using clinically relevant concentrations of PDGF.

Conclusions:

• The developed CD-like platform provides a sensitive and statistically robust method for PDGF detection.
• The improved sensing platform enables real-time, high-resolution measurements under controlled conditions.
• This technology holds promise for point-of-care diagnostics and research applications requiring PDGF quantification.