CRISPR-Enhanced Colorimetric Aptasensor for Adenosine Triphosphate Detection Based on MoS₂-Based Nanozymes

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Accurate detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency in cells, is crucial for biological studies and disease diagnostics.
• Existing methods for ATP detection can be complex or lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive, selective, and simple colorimetric aptasensor for ATP determination.
• To integrate the CRISPR/Cas12a system with aptamers and novel nanozymes for enhanced signal amplification.

Main Methods:

• Designed a colorimetric aptasensor utilizing CRISPR/Cas12a, aptamers, and MoS2-PBNCs-AuNPs nanozymes.
• Leveraged the competitive inhibition of aptamer-crRNA hybridization by ATP to modulate Cas12a activation.
• Utilized enhanced nanozyme catalytic activity for signal generation via TMB oxidation.

Main Results:

• The aptasensor demonstrated a sensitive detection limit of 0.14 μM for ATP.
• Achieved high selectivity, reproducibility, and stability in ATP determination.
• Showcased acceptable recoveries and low relative standard deviations, indicating reliable performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed CRISPR-enhanced colorimetric aptasensor offers a robust platform for ATP quantification.
• The sensor shows significant potential for the early detection of clinical-related diseases.
• This approach provides a sensitive and specific tool for biological and medical diagnostics.