Nanostructured rough gold electrodes for the development of lactate oxidase-based biosensors

An engineered lactate oxidase based electrochemical sensor for continuous detection of biomarker lactic acid in human sweat and serum

Lactate levels in humans reveal intensity and duration of exertion and provide a critical readout for the severity of life-threatening illnesses such as pediatric sepsis. Using the lactate oxidase enzyme (Lox) from Aerococcus viridians, we demonstrated its functionality for lactate electrochemical sensing in physiological fluids in a lab setting. The structure and dynamics of LOx were validated by crystallography, X-ray scattering, and hydroxyl radical protein footprinting. This provided a validated protein template for understanding and designing an enzyme-based electrochemical sensing elements. Using this template, LOx enzyme variants were generated and compared. Comparison of the variants demonstrates that one exhibits effective lactate sensing at significantly reduced operating voltages. Additionally, we demonstrate that the four hexahistidine-tags on each enzyme tetramer are sufficient for immobilization to create a durable, functional sensor, with no need for a covalent attachment, enabling self-immobilization and eliminating the need for additional immobilization steps. The functionality of the LOx enzyme variants was verified at physiological lactate concentrations in both human serum (0-4 mM) and artificial sweat (0-100 mM) using 3-electrode setups for analysis of the three variants in parallel. Accuracy of measurement in both artificial sweat and human serum were high. Employing a microfluidic flow cell, we successfully monitored varying lactate levels in physiological fluids continuously over a 2h period. Overall, this optimized LOx enzyme, which self-immobilizes onto gold sensing electrodes, facilitates efficient and reliable lactate detection and continuous monitoring at reduced operating voltages suitable for further development towards commercial use.

Electrochemical Biosensors in the Diagnosis of Acute and Chronic Leukemias

Until now, morphological assessment with an optical or electronic microscope, fluorescence in situ hybridization, DNA sequencing, flow cytometry, polymerase chain reactions, and immunohistochemistry have been employed for leukemia identification. Nevertheless, despite their numerous different vantages, it is difficult to recognize leukemic cells correctly. Recently, the electrochemical evaluation with a nano-sensing interface seems an attractive alternative. Electrochemical biosensors measure the modification in the electrical characteristics of the nano-sensing interface, which is modified by the contact between a biological recognition element and the analyte objective. The implementation of nanosensors is founded not on single nanomaterials but rather on compilating these components efficiently. Biosensors able to identify the molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid are defined as DNA biosensors. Our review aimed to evaluate the literature on the possible use of electrochemical biosensors for identifying hematological neoplasms such as acute promyelocytic leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia. In particular, we focus our attention on using DNA electrochemical biosensors to evaluate leukemias.

Various types of electrochemical biosensors for leukemia detection and therapeutic approaches

Leukemia often initiates following dysfunctions in hematopoietic stem cells lineages. Various types of leukemia, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-1) can thus call for different diagnosis and treatment options. One of the most important subjects in leukemia is the early detection of the disease for effective therapeutic purposes. In this respect, biosensors detecting the molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as analytes are called genosensors or DNA biosensors. Electrochemical sensors, as the most significant approach, also involve reacting of chemical solutions with sensors to generate electrical signals proportional to analyte concentrations. Biosensors can further help detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease. Moreover, electrochemical biosensors, developed based on various nanomaterials (NMs), can increase sensitivity to the detection of leukemia-related genes, e.g., BCR/ABL as a fusion gene and promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML/RARα). Therefore, the present review reflects on previous studies recruiting different NMs for leukemia detection.

Modification of polyacrylonitrile-derived carbon nanofibers and bacteriophages on screen-printed electrodes: A portable electrochemical biosensor for rapid detection of Escherichia coli

A facile method was developed for fabricating a disposable phage-based electrochemical biosensor for the detection of Escherichia coli. Bare screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) were modified using a two-step drop-casting method, in which polyacrylonitrile-derived electrospun carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were deposited, followed by E. coli bacteriophage immobilization. The deposition of CNFs increased the surface area for bacteriophage immobilization while maintaining a conductive link for ferro/ferricyanide redox transitions. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed that the CNF modification increased the electron-transfer rate, whereas bacteriophages and E. coli blocked electron transfer at the electrode. The biosensor achieved a response within 10 min and a linear response in the E. coli concentration range of 10²-10⁶ CFU/mL. A limit of detection (LOD) of 36 CFU/mL in phosphate-buffered saline was achieved, which is the lowest LOD reported thus far for phage-based disposable SPE sensors. The biosensor exhibited recovery rates between 106 % and 119 % for E. coli detection in apple juice. The proposed fabrication method allowed electrodes to be obtained from different production batches with remarkable consistency and reproducibility, and they remained stable at room temperature for one month. Thus, a phage-based disposable SPE that can be used for bacterial detection was developed for the first time.

A Graphene-Based Enzymatic Biosensor Using a Common-Gate Field-Effect Transistor for L-Lactic Acid Detection in Blood Plasma Samples

Lactate is an important organic molecule that is produced in excess during anaerobic metabolism when oxygen is absent in the human organism. The concentration of this substance in the body can be related to several medical conditions, such as hemorrhage, respiratory failure, and ischemia. Herein, we describe a graphene-based lactate biosensor to detect the concentrations of L-lactic acid in different fluids (buffer solution and plasma). The active surface (graphene) of the device was functionalized with lactate dehydrogenase enzyme using different substances (Nafion, chitosan, and glutaraldehyde) to guarantee stability and increase selectivity. The devices presented linear responses for the concentration ranges tested in the different fluids. An interference study was performed using ascorbic acid, uric acid, and glucose, and there was a minimum variation in the Dirac point voltage during detection of lactate in any of the samples. The stability of the devices was verified at up to 50 days while kept in a dry box at room temperature, and device operation was stable until 12 days. This study demonstrated graphene performance to monitor L-lactic acid production in human samples, indicating that this material can be implemented in more simple and low-cost devices, such as flexible sensors, for point-of-care applications.

A Lactate/Oxygen Biofuel Cell: The Coupled Lactate Oxidase Anode and PGM-Free Fe-N-C Cathode

The rapid development of both wearable and implantable biofuel cells has triggered more and more attention on the lactate biofuel cell. The novel lactate/oxygen biofuel cell (L/O-BFC) with the direct electron transfer (DET)-type lactate oxidase (LOx) anode and the platinum group metal (PGM)-free Fe-N-C cathode is designed and constructed in this paper. In such a reasonable design, the surface-controlled direct two-electron electrochemical reaction of the lactate oxidase was determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) on the carbon nanotube (CNT) modified electrode with favorable high electrochemical active surface area and electronic conductivity. Additionally, the biosensor based on DET-type LOx modified electrode impressively presented linear response to lactate with different concentrations from 0.000 mM to 12.300 mM. In particular, the apparent Michealis-constant (K_M^app) calculated as 0.140 mM clearly indicates that LOx on CNT has strong affinity to the substrate lactate. Meanwhile, 4e^- transfer oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was proven to take place on the Fe-N-C catalysts inthe 0.1 M PBS system, indicating the advantage by using the Fe-N-C catalysts at the cathode of L/O-BFC. Last but not least, the L/O-BFC with the direct electron transfer (DET)-type lactate oxidase(LOx) anode and the Fe-N-C cathode produced an superior open circuit potential (OCP) of 0.264 V and a maximum output power density (OPD) of 24.430 μW cm^-2 in O₂ saturated 95.020 mM lactate solution. The above results will not only bring about significant interest in developing a DET-type biofuel cell, but also offer guiding direction to explore novel catalyst materials for the biofuel cell. This work enriches the research content and may push developments of the implantable and wearable biofuel cell forward.

Electrochemical sensing of lactate by using an electrode modified with molecularly imprinted polymers, reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles

This paper reports on a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for lactic acid. The sensor is based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP), obtained on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles. The MIP was obtained by electropolymerization of the o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) on the modified surface of the GCE in the presence of lactic acid. The steps involving the GCE modification and MIP construction were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results were evaluated using differential pulse voltammetry, using the hexacyanoferrate redox system as an electrochemical probe. Under optimized experimental conditions, the imprinted sensor has a linear response in the 0.1 nM to 1.0 nM lactic acid concentration range, with detection limit of 0.09 nM. The sensor exhibits excellent selectivity in the presence of molecules of similar chemical structure. It was applied for the selective determination of lactic acid in sugarcane vinasse. The recovery values ranged from 97.7 to 104.8%. Graphical abstractSchematic representation for MIP/AuNP/RGO/GCE sensor, obtained by electropolymerization of o-phenylediamine (o-PD) on a surface modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). These materials allowed the construction of a MIP-sensor with good selectivity for lactic acid.

Electrochemical Deposition of Nanomaterials for Electrochemical Sensing

The most commonly used methods to electrodeposit nanomaterials on conductive supports or to obtain electrosynthesis nanomaterials are described. Au, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), metal oxides, and polymers are the classes of compounds taken into account. The electrochemical approach for the synthesis allows one to obtain nanostructures with well-defined morphologies, even without the use of a template, and of variable sizes simply by controlling the experimental synthesis conditions. In fact, parameters such as current density, applied potential (constant, pulsed or ramp) and duration of the synthesis play a key role in determining the shape and size of the resulting nanostructures. This review aims to describe the most recent applications in the field of electrochemical sensors of the considered nanomaterials and special attention is devoted to the analytical figures of merit of the devices.

Advances in the design of nanomaterial-based electrochemical affinity and enzymatic biosensors for metabolic biomarkers: A review

This review (with 340 refs) focuses on methods for specific and sensitive detection of metabolites for diagnostic purposes, with particular emphasis on electrochemical nanomaterial-based sensors. It also covers novel candidate metabolites as potential biomarkers for diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, autism spectrum disorder and hepatitis. Following an introduction into the field of metabolic biomarkers, a first major section classifies electrochemical biosensors according to the bioreceptor type (enzymatic, immuno, apta and peptide based sensors). A next section covers applications of nanomaterials in electrochemical biosensing (with subsections on the classification of nanomaterials, electrochemical approaches for signal generation and amplification using nanomaterials, and on nanomaterials as tags). A next large sections treats candidate metabolic biomarkers for diagnosis of diseases (in the context with metabolomics), with subsections on biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, autism spectrum disorder and hepatitis. The Conclusion addresses current challenges and future perspectives. Graphical abstract This review focuses on the recent developments in electrochemical biosensors based on the use of nanomaterials for the detection of metabolic biomarkers. It covers the critical metabolites for some diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, autism spectrum disorder and hepatitis.

Lactate Sensors on Flexible Substrates

Lactate detection by an in situ sensor is of great need in clinical medicine, food processing, and athletic performance monitoring. In this paper, a flexible, easy to fabricate, and low-cost biosensor base on lactate oxidase is presented. The fabrication processes, including metal deposition, sol-gel IrO_x deposition, and drop-dry enzyme loading method, are described in detail. The loaded enzyme was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the sensors. Durability, sensibility, and selectivity of the biosensors were examined. The comparison for different electrode sizes and different sensing film materials was conducted. The sensor could last for four weeks with an average surface area normalized sensitivity of 950 nA/(cm² mM) and 9250 nA/(cm² mM) for Au-based electrodes, and IrO_x-modified electrodes respectively, both with an electrode size of 100 × 50 μm. The self-referencing method to record noises simultaneously with the working electrode greatly improved sensor sensitivity and selectivity. The sensor showed little response to interference chemicals, such as glutamate and dopamine.

Biosensors based on electrochemical lactate detection: A comprehensive review

Lactate detection plays a significant role in healthcare, food industries and is specially necessitated in conditions like hemorrhage, respiratory failure, hepatic disease, sepsis and tissue hypoxia. Conventional methods for lactate determination are not accurate and fast so this accelerated the need of sensitive biosensors for high-throughput screening of lactate in different samples. This review focuses on applications and developments of various electrochemical biosensors based on lactate detection as lactate being essential metabolite in anaerobic metabolic pathway. A comparative study to summarize the L-lactate biosensors on the basis of different analytical properties in terms of fabrication, sensitivity, detection limit, linearity, response time and storage stability has been done. It also addresses the merits and demerits of current enzyme based lactate biosensors. Lactate biosensors are of two main types – lactate oxidase (LOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) based. Different supports tried for manufacturing lactate biosensors include membranes, polymeric matrices-conducting or non-conducting, transparent gel matrix, hydrogel supports, screen printed electrodes and nanoparticles. All the examples in these support categories have been aptly discussed. Finally this review encompasses the conclusion and future emerging prospects of lactate sensors.

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Different enzymes used in lactate bio sensing have been studied.

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Support used for fabrication biosensors have been discussed.

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The linearity range, response time, detection limit, etc. have been studied.

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Merits and demerits of different supports are also discussed.

Sensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on three-dimensional nanostructure gold electrode

A sensitive electrochemical immunosensor was developed for detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) based on a three-dimensional nanostructure gold electrode using a facile, rapid, “green” square-wave oxidation-reduction cycle technique. The resulting three-dimensional gold nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. A “sandwich-type” detection strategy using an electrochemical immunosensor was employed. Under optimal conditions, a good linear relationship between the current response signal and the AFP concentrations was observed in the range of 10–50 ng/mL with a detection limit of 3 pg/mL. This new immunosensor showed a fast amperometric response and high sensitivity and selectivity. It was successfully used to determine AFP in a human serum sample with a relative standard deviation of <5% (n=5). The proposed immunosensor represents a significant step toward practical application in clinical diagnosis and monitoring of prognosis.

Application of electrochemical biosensors in clinical diagnosis

Analyses in the clinical area need quick and reliable analytical methods and devices. For this purpose, biosensors can be a suitable option, whereas they are constructed to be simple for use, specific for the target analyte, capable of continuous monitoring and giving quick results, potentially low-costing and portable. In this article, we describe electrochemical biosensors developed for clinical diagnosis, namely for glucose, lactate, cholesterol, urea, creatinine, DNA, antigens, antibodies, and cancer markers assays. Chosen biosensors showed desirable sensitivity, selectivity, and potential for application on real samples. They are often designed to avoid interference with undesired components present in the monitored systems.

Lactate biosensors: current status and outlook

Many research efforts over the last few decades have been devoted to sensing lactate as an important analytical target in clinical care, sport medicine, and food processing. Therefore, research in designing lactate sensors is no longer in its infancy and now is more directed toward viable sensors for direct applications. In this review, we provide an overview of the most immediate and relevant developments toward this end, and we discuss and assess common transduction approaches. Further, we critically describe the pros and cons of current commercial lactate sensors and envision how future sensing design may benefit from emerging new technologies.

Nanostructured rough gold electrodes as platforms to enhance the sensitivity of electrochemical genosensors

An electrochemical DNA genosensor constructed by using rough gold as electrode support is reported in this work. The electrode surface nanopatterning was accomplished by repetitive square-wave perturbing potential (RSWPP). A synthetic 25-mer DNA capture probe, modified at the 5' end with a hexaalkylthiol, able to hybridize with a specific sequence of lacZ gene from the Enterobacteriaceae bacterial family was assembled to the rough gold surface. A 25 bases synthetic sequence fully complementary to the thiolated DNA capture probe and a 326 bases fragment of lacZ containing a fully matched sequence with the capture probe, which was amplified by a specific asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (aPCR), were employed as target sequences. The hybridization event was electrochemically monitored by using two different indicators, hexaammineruthenium (III) chloride showing an electrostatic DNA binding mode, and pentaamineruthenium-[3-(2-phenanthren-9-yl-vinyl)-pyridine] (in brief RuL) which binds to double stranded DNA (dsDNA) following an intercalative mechanism. After optimization of the different variables involved in the hybridization and detection reactions, detection limits of 5.30 pg μL(-1) and 10 pg μL(-1) were obtained for the 25-mer synthetic target DNA and the aPCR amplicon, respectively. A RSD value of 6% was obtained for measurements carried out with 3 different genosensors prepared in the same manner.

Nanoparticle film assemblies as platforms for electrochemical biosensing--factors affecting the amperometric signal enhancement of hydrogen peroxide

Factors affecting the enhanced amperometric signal observed at electrodes modified with polyelectrolyte-gold nanoparticle (Au-NP) composite films, which are potential interfaces for first-generation biosensors, were systematically investigated and optimized for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection. Polyelectrolyte multilayer films embedded with citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles exhibited high sensitivity toward the oxidation of H2O2. From this Au-NP film assembly, the importance of Au-NP ligand protection, film permeability, the density of Au-NPs within the film, and electronic coupling between Au-NPs (interparticle) and between the film and the electrode (interfacial) were evaluated. Using alternative Au-NPs, including those stabilized with thiols, polymers, and bulky ligands, suggests that the amperometric enhancement of H2O2 is optimized at poly-L-lysine-linked film assemblies embedded with Au-NPs possessing small, charged, and conductive (conjugated) peripheral ligands. As a potential application of these Au-NP film assemblies, an enhanced amperometric signal for H2O2 oxidation was shown for modified "needle" electrodes. The overall aim of this research is to gain a greater understanding of designing electrochemical sensing strategies that incorporate Au-NPs and target specific analytes.

Monolayer-protected nanoparticle doped xerogels as functional components of amperometric glucose biosensors

First-generation amperometric glucose biosensors incorporating alkanethiolate-protected gold nanoparticles, monolayer protected clusters (MPCs), within a xerogel matrix are investigated as model systems for nanomaterial-assisted electrochemical sensing strategies. The xerogel biosensors are comprised of platinum electrodes modified with composite films of (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxy silane xerogel embedded with glucose oxidase enzyme, doped with Au225(C6)75 MPCs, and coated with an outer polyurethane layer. Electrochemistry and scanning/transmission electron microscopy, including cross-sectional TEM, show sensor construction, humidity effects on xerogel structure, and successful incorporation of MPCs. Analytical performance of the biosensor scheme with and without MPC doping of the xerogel is determined from direct glucose injection during amperometry. MPC-doped xerogels yield significant enhancement of several sensor attributes compared to analogous films without nanoparticles: doubling of the linear range, sensitivity enhancement by an order of magnitude, and 4-fold faster response times accompany long-term stability and resistance to common interfering agents that are competitive with current glucose biosensing literature. Ligand chain length and the MPC/silane ratio studies suggest the MPC-induced enhancements are critically related to structure-function relationships, particularly those affecting interparticle electronic communication where the MPC network behaves as a three-dimensional extension of the working electrode into the xerogel film, reducing the system's dependence on diffusion and maximizing efficiency of the sensing mechanism. The integration of MPCs as a functional component of amperometric biosensor schemes has implications for future development of biosensors targeting clinically relevant species.

Detection of femtomolar level osteosarcoma-related gene via a chronocoulometric DNA biosensor based on nanostructure gold electrode

In this paper, a sensitive chronocoulometric deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biosensor based on a nanostructure gold electrode was fabricated for detection of the femtomolar level survivin gene which was correlated with osteosarcoma by using hexaamine-ruthenium III complexes, [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺, as the electrochemical indicator. The effect of different frequencies on the real surface area of the nanostructure gold electrode obtained by repetitive square-wave oxidation reduction cycle was investigated. At the optimal frequency of 8000 Hz, the real surface of the developed nanostructure gold electrode was about 42.5 times compared with that of the bare planar gold electrode. The capture probe DNA was immobilized on the nanostructure gold electrode and hybridized with target DNA. Electrochemical signals of hexaamine-ruthenium III bound to the anionic phosphate of DNA strands via electrostatic interactions were measured by chronocoulometry before and after hybridization. The increase of the charges of hexaamine-ruthenium III was observed upon hybridization of the probe with target DNA. Results indicate that this DNA biosensor could detect the femtomole (fM) concentration of the DNA target quantitatively in the range of 50 fM to 250 fM; the detection limit of this DNA biosensor was 5.6 fM (signal to noise = 3). This new biosensor exhibits excellent sensitivity and selectivity and has been used for an assay of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a satisfactory result.

Multiscale-tailored bioelectrode surfaces for optimized catalytic conversion efficiency

We describe the elaboration of a multiscale-tailored bioelectrocatalytic system. The combination of two enzymes, D-sorbitol dehydrogenase and diaphorase, is studied with respect to the oxidation of D-sorbitol as a model system. The biomolecules are immobilized in an electrodeposited paint (EDP) layer. Reproducible and efficient catalysis of D-sorbitol oxidation is recorded when this system is immobilized on a gold electrode modified by a self-assembled monolayer of 4-carboxy-(2,5,7-trinitro-9-fluorenylidene)malonitrile used as a mediator. The insertion of mediator-modified gold nanoparticles into the EDP film increases significantly the active surface area for the catalytic reaction, which can be further enhanced when the whole system is immobilized in macroporous gold electrodes. This multiscale architecture finally leads to a catalytic device with optimized efficiency for potential use in biosensors, bioelectrosynthesis, and biofuel cells.