Polydopamine Powered Droplet Electricity Generator for Protein Assay with CRISPR/Cas Enabled Amplification

Protein function investigation and clinical assay are fundamental to modern biology and medical diagnostics. Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1), a key enzyme in DNA replication and repair, plays a critical role in the progression of many diseases. Taking FEN1 as an example, we present a novel protein detection platform combining triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and CRISPR/Cas technologies. As a specific form of TENG, the transistor-droplet electricity generator (TDEG) is explored, which offers a low-cost, simple fabrication approach with real-time detection capability. Meanwhile, the FEN1 activated CRISPR/Cas system catalyzes the reactions on the three-dimensional DNA tetrahedron interface, promising the high sensitivity. This work not only demonstrates a powerful method for rapid protein detection but also pioneers the integration of CRISPR/Cas with TENG. It has a great prospect for future development of TENG sensors.