scholarly journals Potentiostats for Protein Biosensing: Design Considerations and Analysis on Measurement Characteristics

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Abdullah ◽  
Sarah Tonello ◽  
Michela Borghetti ◽  
Emilio Sardini ◽  
Mauro Serpelloni

The demand for the development of swift, simple, and ultrasensitive biosensors has been increasing after the introduction of innovative approaches such as bioelectronics, nanotechnology, and electrochemistry. The possibility to correlate changes in electrical parameters with the concentration of protein biomarkers in biological samples is appealing to improve sensitivity, reliability, and repeatability of the biochemical assays currently available for protein investigation. Potentiostats are the required instruments to ensure the proper cell conditioning and signal processing in accurate electrochemical biosensing applications. In this light, this review is aimed at analyzing design considerations, electrical specifications, and measurement characteristics of potentiostats, specifically customized for protein detection. This review demonstrates how a proper potentiostat for protein quantification should be able to supply voltages in a range between few mV to few V, with high resolution in terms of readable current (in the order of 100 pA). To ensure a reliable quantification of clinically relevant protein concentrations (>1 ng/mL), the accuracy of the measurement (<1%) is significant and it can be ensured with proper digital-to-analog (10-16 bits) and analog-to-digital (10-24 bits) converters. Furthermore, the miniaturisation of electrochemical systems represents a key step toward portable, real-time, and fast point-of-care applications. This review is meant to serve as a guide for the design of customized potentiostats capable of a more proper and enhanced conditioning of electrochemical biosensors for protein detection.

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2555
Author(s):  
Nikolay Mukhin ◽  
Georgii Konoplev ◽  
Aleksandr Oseev ◽  
Marc-Peter Schmidt ◽  
Oksana Stepanova ◽  
...  

Diagnostic devices for point-of-care (POC) urine analysis (urinalysis) based on microfluidic technology have been actively developing for several decades as an alternative to laboratory based biochemical assays. Urine proteins (albumin, immunoglobulins, uromodulin, haemoglobin etc.) are important biomarkers of various pathological conditions and should be selectively detected by urinalysis sensors. The challenge is a determination of different oligomeric forms of the same protein, e.g., uromodulin, which have similar bio-chemical affinity but different physical properties. For the selective detection of different types of proteins, we propose to use a shear bulk acoustic resonator sensor with an additional electrode on the upper part of the bioliquid-filled channel for protein electric field manipulation. It causes modulation of the protein concentration over time in the near-surface region of the acoustic sensor, that allows to distinguish proteins based on their differences in diffusion coefficients (or sizes) and zeta-potentials. Moreover, in order to improve the sensitivity to density, we propose to use structured sensor interface. A numerical study of this approach for the detection of proteins was carried out using the example of albumin, immunoglobulin, and oligomeric forms of uromodulin in model urine solutions. In this contribution we prove the proposed concept with numerical studies for the detection of albumin, immunoglobulin, and oligomeric forms of uromodulin in urine models.


Biosensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesslyn Janssen ◽  
Mike Lambeta ◽  
Paul White ◽  
Ahmad Byagowi

There is a growing need for biosensors that are capable of efficiently and rapidly quantifying protein biomarkers, both in the biological research and clinical setting. While accurate methods for protein quantification exist, the current assays involve sophisticated techniques, take long to administer and often require highly trained personnel for execution and analysis. Herein, we explore the development of a label-free biosensor for the detection and quantification of a standard protein. The developed biosensors comprise carbon nanotubes (CNTs), a specific antibody and cellulose filtration paper. The change in electrical resistance of the CNT-based biosensor system was used to sense a standard protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a proof-of-concept. The developed biosensors were found to have a limit of detection of 2.89 ng/mL, which is comparable to the performance of the typical ELISA method for BSA quantification. Additionally, the newly developed method takes no longer than 10 min to perform, greatly reducing the time of analysis compared to the traditional ELISA technique. Overall, we present a versatile, affordable, simplified and rapid biosensor device capable of providing great benefit to both biological research and clinical diagnostics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Jiang ◽  
Peter B. Lillehoj

Abstract Rapid diagnostic tests are one of the most commonly used tests to detect and screen for infectious diseases in the developing world. While these tests are simple, inexpensive, and readily available, they rely on finger-prick blood sampling, which requires trained medical personnel, poses risks of infection, and can complicate cooperation in young children, asymptomatic individuals, and communities with blood taboos. Here, we report a novel microneedle-based skin patch for the rapid detection of protein biomarkers in dermal interstitial fluid. Sample collection is facilitated by a hydrophilic hollow microneedle array that autonomously extracts and transports interstitial fluid to an antibody-based lateral flow test strip via surface tension for colorimetric antigen detection. We employ a simple gold enhancement treatment to enhance the detection sensitivity of this colloidal gold-based lateral flow assay and elucidate the underlying mechanism of this enhancement mechanism through experimental investigation. For proof-of-concept, this device was used to detect Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2, a biomarker for malaria infection, which could be detected at concentrations as low as 8 ng/mL. Each test can be completed in <20 min and requires no equipment. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first demonstration of a microneedle-based lateral flow assay for rapid protein detection in dermal interstitial fluid. In addition to its simplicity, minimally invasive nature, and low cost, this diagnostic device can be readily adapted to detect other protein biomarkers in interstitial fluid, making it a promising tool for point-of-care testing.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 189
Author(s):  
Susana Campuzano ◽  
Paloma Yáñez-Sedeño ◽  
José Manuel Pingarrón

The multifaceted key roles of cytokines in immunity and inflammatory processes have led to a high clinical interest for the determination of these biomolecules to be used as a tool in the diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and treatment of several diseases of great current relevance (autoimmune, neurodegenerative, cardiac, viral and cancer diseases, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes). Therefore, the rapid and accurate determination of cytokine biomarkers in body fluids, cells and tissues has attracted considerable attention. However, many currently available techniques used for this purpose, although sensitive and selective, require expensive equipment and advanced human skills and do not meet the demands of today’s clinic in terms of test time, simplicity and point-of-care applicability. In the course of ongoing pursuit of new analytical methodologies, electrochemical biosensing is steadily gaining ground as a strategy suitable to develop simple, low-cost methods, with the ability for multiplexed and multiomics determinations in a short time and requiring a small amount of sample. This review article puts forward electrochemical biosensing methods reported in the last five years for the determination of cytokines, summarizes recent developments and trends through a comprehensive discussion of selected strategies, and highlights the challenges to solve in this field. Considering the key role demonstrated in the last years by different materials (with nano or micrometric size and with or without magnetic properties), in the design of analytical performance-enhanced electrochemical biosensing strategies, special attention is paid to the methods exploiting these approaches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Ernst Emmanuel Etienne ◽  
Bharath Babu Nunna ◽  
Niladri Talukder ◽  
Yudong Wang ◽  
Eon Soo Lee

COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2 is a novel, respiratory virus currently plaguing humanity. Genetically, at its core, it is a single-strand positive-sense RNA virus. It is a beta-type Coronavirus and is distinct in its structure and binding mechanism compared to other types of coronaviruses. Testing for the virus remains a challenge due to the small market available for at-home detection. Currently, there are three main types of tests for biomarker detection: viral, antigen and antibody. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard for viral testing. However, the lack of quantitative detection and turnaround time for results are drawbacks. This manuscript focuses on recent advances in COVID-19 detection that have lower limits of detection and faster response times than RT-PCR testing. The advancements in sensing platforms have amplified the detection levels and provided real-time results for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein detection with limits as low as 1 fg/mL in the Graphene Field Effect Transistor (FET) sensor. Additionally, using multiple biomarkers, detection levels can achieve a specificity and sensitivity level comparable to that of PCR testing. Proper biomarker selection coupled with nano sensing detection platforms are key in the widespread use of Point of Care (POC) diagnosis in COVID-19 detection.


2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 311-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vindhya Kunduru ◽  
Shalini Prasad

We demonstrate a technique to detect protein biomarkers contained in vulnerable coronary plaque using a platform-based microelectrode array (MEA). The detection scheme is based on the property of high specificity binding between antibody and antigen similar to most immunoassay techniques. Rapid clinical diagnosis can be achieved by detecting the amount of protein in blood by analyzing the protein's electrical signature. Polystyrene beads which act as transportation agents for the immobile proteins (antigen) are electrically aligned by application of homogenous electric fields. The principle of electrophoresis is used to produce calculated electrokinetic movement among the anti-C-reactive protein (CRP), or in other words antibody funtionalized polystyrene beads. The electrophoretic movement of antibody-functionalized polystyrene beads results in the formation of “Microbridges” between the two electrodes of interest which aid in the amplification of the antigen—antibody binding event. Sensitive electrical equipment is used for capturing the amplified signal from the “Microbridge” which essentially behaves as a conducting path between the two electrodes. The technique circumvents the disadvantages of conventional protein detection methods by being rapid, noninvasive, label-free, repeatable, and inexpensive. The same principle of detection can be applied for any receptor—ligand-based system because the technique is based only on the volume of the analyte of interest. Detection of the inflammatory coronary disease biomarker CRP is achieved at concentration levels spanning over the lower microgram/milliliter to higher order nanogram/milliliter ranges.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Stidham ◽  
Valerie Villareal ◽  
Vasant Chellappa ◽  
Lucas Yoder ◽  
Olivia Alley ◽  
...  

Abstract Aptamers, due to their small size, strong target affinity, and ease of chemical modification, are ideally suited for molecular detection technologies. Here, we describe successful use of aptamer technology in a consumer device for the detection of peanut antigen in food. The novel aptamer-based protein detection method is robust across a wide variety of food matrices and sensitive to peanut protein at concentrations as low as 12.5 ppm (37.5 µg peanut protein in the sample). Integration of the assay into a sensitive, stable, and consumer friendly portable device will empower users to easily and quickly assess the presence of peanut allergens in foods before eating. With most food reactions occurring outside the home, the type of technology described here has significant potential to improve lives for children and families.


The Analyst ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kawin Khachornsakkul ◽  
Anongnat Tiangtrong ◽  
Araya Suwannasom ◽  
Wuttichai Sangkharoek ◽  
Opor Jamjumrus ◽  
...  

We report on the first development of a simple distance-based β-amyloid (Aβ) protein quantification using paper-based devices (dPADs) to screen for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and to subsequently follow up on...


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léonard Bezinge ◽  
Akkapol Suea-Ngam ◽  
Andrew J. deMello ◽  
Chih-Jen Shih

This account reviews the major amplification strategies utilizing nanomaterials in electrochemical biosensing for robust and sensitive molecular diagnostics.


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