Biocompatible OFETs for Selective and Real-Time Bacterial Detection Using BSA and Lysozyme Layers

Area of Science:

• Biosensor technology
• Organic electronics
• Bacteriology

Background:

• Current bacterial detection methods are slow, complex, and require specialized equipment.
• There is a growing need for rapid, sensitive, and precise bacterial detection in medicine and environmental monitoring.
• Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) offer potential for portable biosensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel biosensor for rapid and sensitive bacterial detection.
• To utilize bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYZ) in an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) platform.
• To enable precise differentiation between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the dielectric layer and lysozyme (LYZ) as the bacterial sensing layer.
• Testing the OFETs' performance for bacterial detection across various concentrations.
• Utilizing multispike measurements for real-time response analysis.

Main Results:

• The BSA/LYZ-based OFETs demonstrated enhanced biocompatibility and detection sensitivity.
• The biosensor accurately differentiated between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• Detection of bacterial concentrations from 10^4 to 10^8 CFU/mL with real-time response was achieved.
• BSA provided electrical stabilization, biodegradability, and water solubility, enhancing sustainability.

Conclusions:

• The developed biocompatible OFETs represent a significant advancement in portable bacterial detection technology.
• This approach offers a promising solution for complex biological environments, improving medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
• The use of BSA and LYZ in OFETs paves the way for more sustainable and efficient biosensing platforms.