A pendulum-type electrochemical aptamer-based sensor for continuous, real-time and stable detection of proteins

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosensors
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Continuous protein detection is vital for health management and research.
• Electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors are versatile but often limited by signal drift and low-frequency data acquisition.
• Existing methods struggle with real-time, stable monitoring during continuous operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel E-AB sensor for drift-resistant, high-frequency, real-time protein monitoring.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional voltammetric methods in continuous E-AB sensing.
• To enable continuous detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) using an innovative sensor design.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Gold nanoparticle-DNA Pendulum (GDP) empowered E-AB sensor.
• Utilized chronoamperometric interrogation for signal acquisition.
• Assembled VEGF aptamer-anchored GDP probes onto a reduced graphene modified electrode.

Main Results:

• Achieved drift-resistant, high-frequency, real-time monitoring of VEGF.
• Demonstrated continuous, selective, and reversible VEGF detection from 13 fM to 130 nM.
• Sensor maintained signal integrity during operation and acquired signals on a millisecond timescale.
• Successfully monitored VEGF in both PBS solutions and artificial urine.

Conclusions:

• The GDP-empowered E-AB sensor provides a robust platform for continuous biomolecular monitoring.
• This approach overcomes key limitations of existing E-AB sensors, enabling high-frequency, stable signal acquisition.
• Offers a promising new strategy for designing advanced E-AB architectures for real-time biological analysis.