A DNA biosensor integrating surface hybridization, thermo-responsive coating, laminar-flow technology and localized photothermal effect for efficient electrochemical detection of nucleic acids

• Published in: Sensors & diagnostics 2024-12, Vol.3 (12), p.1966-1975
• Main Authors: Maugeri, Ludovica, Fangano, Giorgia, Ferlazzo, Angelo, Forte, Giuseppe, Gulino, Antonino, Petralia, Salvatore
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2635-0998; 2635-0998
• DOI: 10.1039/d4sd00288a

A hybrid electrochemical DNA biosensor that integrates various technologies, such as laminar flow, surface hybridization, DNA-microarray, thermo-responsive nanocoating and localized photothermal heating, is presented here. A photothermal module based on gold nanostructures photoactivated by a green-light source (532 nm) was developed for easy temperature management. The hybridization product is electrochemically detected by a three-planar-microelectrode system upon dsDNA denaturation. Performances of the hybrid biosensor were investigated by detection of the cDNA target, resulting in a sensitivity of about 2.62 μA nM −1 cm −2 and a limit of detection of 1.5 nM, as a function of the capture probe sequence. The findings facilitate the integration of multiple technologies, enabling the development of low-cost and point-of-care detection systems for molecular analysis. Pioneering example of the integration of photothermal materials, thermo-responsive coating, microarray-surface hybridization, laminar flow technology and electrochemical measurement into a point-of-care system for DNA detection.