Development of a PCB-based electrochemical aptasensor for Chikungunya virus protein detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics

Background:

• Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection requires accurate and timely diagnosis to prevent misdiagnosis.
• Current diagnostic methods may lack the sensitivity, specificity, or cost-effectiveness needed for widespread application.
• Developing novel biosensors is crucial for rapid and reliable detection of viral pathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, printed circuit board (PCB)-based electrochemical biosensor for Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) E1 protein detection.
• To create an aptamer-based sensing platform for high-sensitivity and specificity.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance in terms of detection range, limit of detection, and real-sample analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a gold-coated PCB sensor requiring a small sample volume (∼10 µL).
• Development of an aptamer-based sensing strategy for CHIKV E1 protein recognition.
• Electrochemical characterization using square wave voltammetry (SWV).
• Assessing sensor performance with varying concentrations and in human blood serum samples.

Main Results:

• An S-shaped calibration curve was achieved, demonstrating a linear response from 5 pM to 100 nM.
• A low limit of detection (LOD) of 10 pM was determined for the CHIKV E1 protein.
• The sensor exhibited high selectivity for CHIKV E1 protein in specificity tests and showed a 93-102% signal recovery rate in human blood serum analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed PCB-based electrochemical biosensor is a promising tool for sensitive and specific Chikungunya virus protein detection.
• The aptamer-based approach offers a viable strategy for developing rapid diagnostic tools for CHIKV.
• This cost-effective platform has the potential for practical application in clinical diagnostics and disease surveillance.