Using silicon nanowire devices to detect adenosine triphosphate liberated from electrically stimulated HeLa cells

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics 2011-01, Vol.26 (5), p.2323-2328
• Main Authors: Chen, C.C., Chen, Y.-Z., Huang, Y.-J., Sheu, J.-T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphate; Adenosine Triphosphate - biosynthesis; ATP; Biological and medical sciences; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biosensors; Biotechnology; Buffer solutions; Chips; Conductometry - instrumentation; Electric Stimulation - methods; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HeLa cell; HeLa Cells; Humans; Ionic strength; Microelectrodes; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology - instrumentation; Nanotubes - chemistry; Nanotubes - ultrastructure; Nanowires; Silicon - chemistry; Silicon nanowire field-effect transistor; Transistors, Electronic
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2010.10.003

In this study, we used a biosensor chip featuring Abl tyrosine kinase-modified silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (SiNW-FETs) to detect adenosine triphosphate (ATP) liberated from HeLa cells that had been electrically stimulated. Cells that are cultured in high-ionic-strength media or buffer environments usually undermine the sensitivity and selectively of SiNW-FET-based sensors. Therefore, we first examined the performance of the biosensor chip incorporating the SiNW-FETs in both low- and high-ionic-strength buffer solutions. Next, we stimulated, using a sinusoidal wave (1.0 V, 50 Hz, 10 min), HeLa cells that had been cultured on a cell-culture chip featuring interdigitated electrodes. The extracellular ATP concentration increased by ca. 18.4-fold after electrical stimulation. Finally, we detected the presence of extracellular ATP after removing a small amount of buffer solution from the cell-cultured chip and introducing it into the biosensor chip.