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Label-Free and In Situ Glycophenotyping Using a Glycocalyx-Mimetic Electrochemical Transducer.
Thiago Coimbra Pimenta1,2,3, Alexandre Xavier Mendes4,5, Ronil J Rath1,2,3
1Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|June 9, 2026
Summary
This study presents a novel electrochemical sensor that mimics the cell surface glycocalyx. This allows for rapid, label-free detection of tumor-associated glycans on living cells, overcoming limitations of current glycophenotyping methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Glycoscience
- Biosensing Technology
Background:
- Glycophenotyping is crucial for understanding cell biology and disease.
- Current methods face challenges like biofouling, complex labeling, and limited access to live cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel electrochemical interface for rapid and label-free glycophenotyping.
- To create a sensor that overcomes biofouling and allows real-time analysis of cell surface glycans.
Main Methods:
- Coating gold electrodes with lubricin (PRG4) to create a glycocalyx-mimetic brush.
- Embedding six lectins within the lubricin layer for orthogonal glycan recognition.
- Utilizing an electrochemical culture-plate format for real-time, in situ measurements.
Main Results:
- The sensor successfully converted lectin-glycan binding into multiplex electrical signals.
- Demonstrated real-time, in situ glycophenotyping of melanoma cells.
- Achieved quantitative agreement with conventional lectin microarrays.
Conclusions:
- The glycocalyx-mimetic transducer enables rapid, label-free screening of lectin-glycan interactions.
- This technology facilitates the profiling of diagnostically relevant, tumor-associated glycans.
- Offers a promising platform for advancing cancer diagnostics and research.
