A light-sensitive protein-based wearable pH biometer

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosensor Technology

Background:

• Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is a photosensitive protein that converts light into electrical signals, making it suitable for biosensor applications.
• Monitoring pH changes is crucial for assessing wound infection status.
• Existing methods for wound pH monitoring can be invasive or lack real-time capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a wearable pH biometer based on bacteriorhodopsin for monitoring wound infections.
• To investigate the pH-sensitive photoelectric properties of bR electrodes.
• To establish the correlation between photovoltage signals and pH variations in the context of wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a wearable biometer utilizing bacteriorhodopsin electrodes.
• Characterization of the photovoltage generation and pH-dependent response of the bR electrode.
• Establishing the linear relationship between the ratio of negative to positive photovoltage (Vn/Vp) and pH.
• In vitro validation using a rat wound infection model to assess real-time pH monitoring.

Main Results:

• The bR electrode exhibits a pH-sensitive photoelectric effect, generating distinct photovoltages under light and darkness.
• A strong linear correlation (R² = 0.9911) was observed between the Vn/Vp ratio and pH in the range of 4.0-10.0.
• In vitro experiments demonstrated the biometer's capability to accurately track pH fluctuations associated with wound infection in a rat model.

Conclusions:

• A novel wearable bacteriorhodopsin-based pH biometer has been successfully developed for wound infection monitoring.
• The device leverages the pH-dependent photoelectric properties of bR for sensitive and reliable pH detection.
• This technology offers a promising non-invasive tool for real-time assessment of wound status and infection progression.