Integrated Microfluidic Device With Carbon-Thread Microelectrodes for Electrochemical DNA Elemental Analysis

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Alterations in DNA base concentrations (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine) are linked to physiological disorders.
• Simultaneous determination of DNA bases presents a significant analytical challenge.
• Microfluidic devices offer advantages for rapid, sensitive, and low-volume analysis, ideal for point-of-care testing (POCT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and precise microfluidic electrochemical device for simultaneous DNA base detection.
• To utilize carbon-thread microelectrodes (CTMEs) for sensitive and accurate DNA elemental analysis.
• To validate the device's performance for analyzing DNA bases in biological samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a three-electrode microfluidic device using functionalized carbon-thread microelectrodes (CTMEs).
• The working electrode was modified with graphitic mesoporous carbon (GMC).
• Electrochemical techniques were employed for simultaneous evaluation of individual DNA bases.

Main Results:

• The developed device achieved distinct anodic peak currents for guanine (G), adenine (A), thymine (T), and cytosine (C) at specific potentials.
• Simultaneous sensing capabilities were confirmed with low detection limits for each DNA base.
• The device successfully performed instantaneous determination of DNA bases in human blood serum samples.

Conclusions:

• A novel microfluidic electrochemical device utilizing CTMEs has been successfully developed.
• The device enables simple, sensitive, and simultaneous electrochemical determination of DNA bases.
• This technology is amenable for point-of-care testing applications, including analysis in human blood serum.