Microcontact imprinted quartz crystal microbalance nanosensor for protein C recognition

Area of Science:

• Biosensors
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Protein C (PC) plays a crucial role in the coagulation cascade.
• Accurate and sensitive detection of PC is vital for diagnosing and managing thrombotic disorders.
• Existing detection methods may lack the required sensitivity, selectivity, or speed for clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly selective and sensitive sensor for protein C (PC) detection.
• To integrate molecular imprinting technique (MIP) with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for enhanced PC sensing.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed sensor in complex biological matrices like human plasma.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a PC-specific molecularly imprinted nanofilm (PC-μCIP) on a QCM sensor.
• Utilizing functional monomers (HEMA, EGDMA, MAH) and copper(II) ions for imprinting.
• Characterization of the sensor using AFM, contact angle, ellipsometry, and FTIR.
• Testing sensor selectivity against other proteins (Hb, HSA, fibrinogen) and performance in human plasma.
• Determining the detection limit and assessing sensor reusability over multiple cycles.

Main Results:

• The PC-μCIP/QCM sensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for protein C.
• The sensor demonstrated a low detection limit of 0.01μg/mL for PC.
• The sensor maintained good performance over five adsorption-desorption cycles, indicating reusability.
• Successful detection of PC was achieved in both aqueous solutions and human plasma samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed PC-μCIP/QCM sensor offers a promising platform for sensitive and selective protein C detection.
• This MIP-based QCM sensor shows potential for clinical diagnostics and research applications.
• The integration of MIP and QCM provides a robust method for detecting specific biomolecules in complex biological fluids.