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Fabrication of Electrochemical-DNA Biosensors for the Reagentless Detection of Nucleic Acids, Proteins and Small Molecules
Published on: June 1, 2011
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Electroanalytical Paper-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Biosensors with Integrated Thread Electrodes
Shirin Khaliliazar1, Anna Toldrà1, Georgios Chondrogiannis1
1School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56, Stockholm 10044, Sweden.
Analytical Chemistry
|October 14, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a 3D microfluidic paper-based electrochemical nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for rapid point-of-care diagnostics. The novel device enables sensitive detection of toxic microalgae DNA in under 2 hours.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are highly sensitive and specific but typically require centralized labs, limiting their use in point-of-care settings.
- Developing portable and rapid diagnostic tools is crucial for timely detection of biological threats and environmental monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a 3D microfluidic paper-based electrochemical NAAT for point-of-care applications.
- To demonstrate the device's capability for detecting the toxic microalgae *Ostreopsis* cf. *ovata*.
Main Methods:
- Integration of gold plasma-coated threads for electroanalytical readouts within a 3D microfluidic paper device.
- Utilizing movable filter paper stacks for sequential assay steps including incubation, rinsing, and detection.
- Employing glass fiber substrates for reagent storage and isothermal amplification via recombinase polymerase amplification.
Main Results:
- The developed NAAT achieved a limit of detection of 0.06 pM for synthetic DNA and detected 1 ng/μL of *O. *cf. *ovata* genomic DNA.
- The entire assay was completed within 95 minutes with negligible cross-reactivity.
- Demonstrated successful detection of a specific toxic microalgae species.
Conclusions:
- The integration of thread electrodes in paper-based devices offers a promising platform for developing digital, single-use NAATs.
- This technology has the potential for various advanced electroanalytical applications in paper- or textile-based formats.
