A reusable electrochemical sensor for one-step biosensing in complex media using triplex-forming oligonucleotide...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biosensors
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Traditional electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) sensors often face challenges with background noise and limited sensitivity.
• Existing tetrahedral DNA nanostructure (TDN) based sensors can be complex and lack rapid response times.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel interfacial probe for an electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) sensor.
• To integrate triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) into a TDN for enhanced electrochemical signal detection.
• To improve sensor performance, including signal-to-noise ratio, response time, and applicability in complex media.

Main Methods:

• Designed a novel interfacial probe combining TFO and TDN.
• Utilized the probe's ability to form a triplex DNA structure upon analyte binding to confine a redox reporter.
• Measured electrochemical signals to quantify analytes.

Main Results:

• The sensor successfully suppressed background signal from 0.69 μA to 0.092 μA, significantly enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio.
• Achieved rapid response times of approximately 35 minutes with a one-step operation and easy regeneration.
• Demonstrated broad applicability by detecting DNA, proteins, and metal ions in complex biological samples like serum, blood, and lake water.

Conclusions:

• The novel TFO-TDN based electrochemical DNA sensor offers superior performance compared to traditional methods.
• The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, rapid response, and versatility for detecting various analytes in complex matrices.
• This technology holds significant potential for precise and efficient bioanalysis in diverse real-world applications.