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Self-Powered Biosensor for a Highly Efficient and Ultrasensitive Dual-Biomarker Assay
Futing Wang1, Ren Cai1, Weihong Tan1,2,3
1Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Material Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|March 28, 2023
Summary
This study presents a self-powered biosensor for detecting microRNA-21 and microRNA-155. The novel device achieves ultrasensitive, simultaneous detection of these microRNAs in human serum samples.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensor Technology
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial biomarkers for various diseases.
- Accurate and sensitive detection of specific miRNAs is essential for early diagnosis.
- Existing detection methods often require complex procedures and external power sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a self-powered biosensor for the simultaneous detection of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155.
- To achieve ultrasensitive quantification of these microRNAs using enzymatic biofuel cells.
- To demonstrate the applicability of the biosensor in complex biological matrices like human serum.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a dual-biomarker biosensor utilizing enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs).
- Integration of catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) and DNA hybridization chain reaction (HCR) for signal amplification.
- Utilizing a capacitor and digital multimeter (DMM) for self-powered voltage measurements.
Main Results:
- The biosensor successfully detected miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 with ultrasensitive detection limits of 0.15 fM and 0.66 fM, respectively.
- Differential open-circuit voltage responses (E1OCV and E2OCV) enabled simultaneous detection.
- High sensitivity and specificity were demonstrated in human serum samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed self-powered biosensor offers a promising platform for ultrasensitive, simultaneous miRNA detection.
- The integration of EBFCs, CHA, and HCR provides a novel approach for label-free electrochemical sensing.
- This technology has potential applications in early disease diagnosis and monitoring.
