Self-assembled peptides-modified flexible field-effect transistors for tyrosinase detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Flexible biosensors are crucial for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of cancer biomarkers.
• Highly sensitive tyrosinase biosensors for melanoma screening present a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-performance tyrosinase-sensing field-effect transistor-based biosensors (bio-FETs).
• To achieve ultra-low detection limits for tyrosinase, a key biomarker for melanoma.
• To create flexible and wearable biosensing devices for conformal skin attachment.

Main Methods:

• Self-assembly of nanostructured tetrapeptide tryptophan-valine-phenylalanine-tyrosine (WVFY) on n-type metal oxide transistors.
• Potentiometric detection of proton consumption during tyrosinase enzymatic reaction.
• Fabrication of flexible devices on thin polyimide (PI) substrates.

Main Results:

• WVFY-modified bio-FETs achieved an ultra-low detection limit of 1.9 fM for tyrosinase.
• Optimal detection range for tyrosinase was found to be 10 fM to 1 nM.
• Flexible devices demonstrated robust mechanical flexibility for conformal skin attachment.

Conclusions:

• The developed bio-FETs offer a highly sensitive platform for tyrosinase detection, crucial for melanoma screening.
• The flexible and wearable nature of the devices holds promise for non-invasive, real-time cancer monitoring.
• This work provides a design framework for developing bio-FETs to detect other cancer biomarkers.