Low-cost inkjet-printed nanostructured biosensor based on CRISPR/Cas12a system for pathogen detection.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Biosensing

Background:

• Rising global infectious diseases necessitate rapid, portable pathogen detection.
• Current methods often lack the speed and portability required for point-of-need applications, especially in developing nations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive and specific electrochemical biosensing platform for bacterial pathogen detection.
• To utilize inkjet-printed nanoparticles and the CRISPR/Cas12a system for enhanced detection capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of cost-effective electrodes using inkjet-printed gold and silver nanoparticles on plastic substrates.
• Application of the CRISPR/Cas12a system for specific DNA sequence detection.
• Electrochemical detection of Cas12a trans-activity triggered cleavage of ssDNA-MB reporters.

Main Results:

• The biosensor demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for detecting Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
• Inkjet-printed nanostructured gold electrodes enhanced assay sensitivity by 86% when using hairpin reporters.
• Successful testing with DNA targets from clinically isolated bacteria confirmed platform potential.

Conclusions:

• The developed electrochemical biosensor offers a promising, cost-effective solution for rapid and portable pathogen detection.
• The CRISPR/Cas12a system combined with inkjet-printed electrodes provides a versatile platform adaptable to various bacterial targets.
• This technology holds significant potential for point-of-need infectious disease diagnostics.