Acrylic-based genosensor utilizing metal salphen labeling approach for reflectometric dengue virus detection

Area of Science:

• Biosensing and diagnostics
• Nanomaterials and nanotechnology
• Molecular virology

Background:

• Dengue virus serotype 2 (DEN-2) poses a significant global health threat, necessitating rapid and accurate diagnostic tools.
• Current diagnostic methods like RT-PCR can be time-consuming and require specialized laboratory equipment.
• There is a need for sensitive, specific, and field-deployable biosensors for early DEN-2 detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel solid-state optical genosensor for the detection of DEN-2 DNA.
• To evaluate the selectivity, specificity, and sensitivity of the developed genosensor.
• To compare the performance of the genosensor with the standard RT-PCR method using clinical samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an optical genosensor using acrylic microspheres (AMs) as a support for capturing DNA probes (cpDNA).
• Immobilization of a Schiff base complex (Zn2+ salphen) as a DNA label for DEN-2 detection.
• Utilizing a reflectance spectrophotometric method for signal transduction.
• Testing selectivity using one-base mismatch DNA sequences and assessing sensitivity with varying DEN-2 DNA concentrations.

Main Results:

• The developed optical DNA biosensor demonstrated high selectivity and specificity, capable of distinguishing single-base mismatches.
• A broad linear detection range for DEN-2 DNA was observed from 1 x 10^-15 M to 1 x 10^-3 M.
• A low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.21 x 10^-16 M was achieved.
• The biosensor exhibited reproducible results (RSD 3.1%) and stability over four regeneration cycles.
• The genosensor showed comparable performance to RT-PCR when analyzing clinical samples (serum, urine, saliva).

Conclusions:

• The developed reflectometric DNA biosensor is a sensitive and specific tool for DEN-2 detection.
• Its ability to detect DEN-2 early, even from initial fever symptoms, offers a significant advantage for patient management.
• The genosensor provides a promising alternative for early DEN-2 diagnosis, potentially improving patient outcomes.