Proximal Bacterial Lysis and Detection in Nanoliter Wells Using Electrochemistry

Rapid and direct genetic analysis of low numbers of bacteria using chip-based sensors is limited by the slow diffusion of mRNA molecules. Long incubation times are required in dilute solutions in order to collect a sufficient number of molecules at the sensor surface to generate a detectable signal. To overcome this barrier here we present an integrated device that leverages electrochemistry-driven lysis less than 50 μm away from electrochemical nucleic acid sensors to overcome this barrier. Released intracellular mRNA can diffuse the short distance to the sensors within minutes, enabling rapid and sensitive detection. We validate this strategy through direct lysis and detection of E. coli mRNA at concentrations as low as 0.4 CFU/μL in 2 min, a clinically relevant combination of speed and sensitivity for a sample-to-answer molecular analysis approach

High-Curvature Nanostructuring Enhances Probe Display for Biomolecular Detection

High-curvature electrodes facilitate rapid and sensitive detection of a broad class of molecular analytes. These sensors have reached detection limits not attained using bulk macroscale materials. It has been proposed that immobilized DNA probes are displayed at a high deflection angle on the sensor surface, which allows greater accessibility and more efficient hybridization. Here we report the first use of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations coupled with electrochemical experiments to explore the dynamics of single-stranded DNA immobilized on high-curvature versus flat surfaces. We find that high-curvature structures suppress DNA probe aggregation among adjacent probes. This results in conformations that are more freely accessed by target molecules. The effect observed is amplified in the presence of highly charged cations commonly used in electrochemical biosensing. The results of the simulations agree with experiments that measure the degree of hybridization in the presence of mono-, di-, and trivalent cations. On high-curvature structures, hybridization current density increases as positive charge increases, whereas on flat electrodes, the trivalent cations cause aggregation due to electrostatic overscreening, which leads to decreased current density and less sensitive detection

Capillary-Assisted Molecular Pendulum Bioanalysis

The development of robust biosensing strategies that can be easily implemented in everyday life remains a challenge for the future of modern biosensor research. While several reagentless approaches have attempted to address this challenge, they often achieve user-friendliness through sacrificing sensitivity or universality. While acceptable for certain applications, these trade-offs hinder the widespread adoption of reagentless biosensing technologies. Here, we report a novel approach to reagentless biosensing that achieves high sensitivity, rapid detection, and universality using the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a model target. Universality is achieved by using nanoscale molecular pendulums, which enables reagentless electrochemical biosensing through a variable antibody recognition element. Enhanced sensitivity and rapid detection are accomplished by incorporating the coffee-ring phenomenon into the sensing scheme, allowing for target preconcentration on a ring-shaped electrode. Using this approach, we obtained limits of detection of 1 fg/mL and 20 copies/mL for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoproteins and viral particles, respectively. In addition, clinical sample analysis showed excellent agreement with Ct values from PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 patients