A Photoelectrochemical Nanoreactor for Single-Cell Sampling and Near Zero-Background Faradaic Detection of...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Single-cell analysis is crucial for understanding cellular heterogeneity.
• Photoelectrochemical (PEC) methods offer sensitive detection but face challenges in complex biological samples.
• Intracellular microRNA (miR) detection is vital for cellular function studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a PEC nanoreactor for single-cell sampling and sensitive detection of intracellular microRNA (miR).
• To establish a near zero-background Faradaic detection method for non-electrogenic molecules at the single-cell level.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a PEC nanoreactor with a micro-reaction chamber.
• Utilizing target-triggered hybridization chain reaction for signal amplification.
• Employing a metallointercalator ([Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+) as a signal reporter.
• Light stimulation to induce photocurrents for Faradaic detection.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated single-cell sampling and near zero-background Faradaic detection of intracellular miR.
• Achieved sensitive detection of non-electrogenic miR at the single-cell level.
• Revealed a lower concentration of miR in the near-nucleus region compared to the main cytosol.

Conclusions:

• The developed PEC nanoreactor enables advanced single-cell analysis by leveraging light-bio-matter interactions.
• This technology provides a powerful tool for investigating intracellular miR distribution and function.
• The findings highlight the potential of light-fueled PEC systems for future single-cell diagnostics.