Development of conducting paper-based electrochemical biosensor for procalcitonin detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Bacterial infections require rapid and accurate diagnostic tools.
• Biomarker detection, such as procalcitonin (PCT), is crucial for diagnosing bacterial infections.
• Existing diagnostic methods can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced cellulose fiber paper (CFP) based biosensor.
• To create a sensitive and selective detection platform for the bacterial infection biomarker procalcitonin (PCT).
• To explore the potential of this biosensor for point-of-care applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a cellulose fiber paper (CFP) based biosensor.
• Modification of the CFP with poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNP).
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
• Electrochemical detection of procalcitonin (PCT) using immobilized anti-PCT antibodies.

Main Results:

• The PEDOT:PSS-AuNP@CFP biosensor demonstrated high sensitivity (1.34 μA (pg mL⁻¹)⁻¹) within a linear detection range of 1-20×10⁴ pg mL⁻¹.
• The biosensor exhibited a stable 24-day lifespan for PCT antigen detection.
• Electrochemical studies confirmed good reproducibility, stability, and sensitivity in physiological ranges.

Conclusions:

• The developed cellulose fiber paper biosensor is effective for sensitive and selective PCT detection.
• The PEDOT:PSS-AuNP@CFP bioelectrode shows promise as an alternative for point-of-care bacterial infection diagnostics.
• This research contributes to the development of accessible and rapid diagnostic tools.