Digital Simulation of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy Approach Curves to Enzyme Films with Michaelis−Menten Kinetics

An immunochromatography strip with peroxidase-mimicking ferric oxyhydroxide nanorods-mediated signal amplification and readout

Immunochromatography testing strips (ICTs) promise to become the point-of-care test format for early diagnosis due to their convenience, low cost, and simplification. However, the insufficient signal intensity and limited sensitivity of this format hamper their application. Herein, we overcame these limitations by integrating rod-like ferric oxyhydroxide (β-FeOOH) nanoparticles with ICTs. By varying the concentration of PEI, a one-pot, mild-temperature hydrolysis method was adapted for the synthesis and morphology regulation of β-FeOOH nanorod. Due to the excellent enzyme-like catalytic activity toward peroxidase substrates (TMB) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), the β-FeOOH nanorod in ICTs served as a signal generator and the nanozyme for signal amplification. The proof-of-concept work was performed for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). A two fold improvement of detection sensitivity was achieved compared to the sensitivity of conventional Au NPs-based ICTs. These results show that β-FeOOH-based ICT has a potential application in POCT detection in clinical diagnostics.

Green Synthesis of Porous Spherical Reduced Graphene Oxide and Its Application in Immobilized Pectinase

Pectinase is widely used in juice production, food processes, and other fields. However, owing to poor stability, free pectinase is difficult to separate from a substrate after hydrolysis and cannot be reused, and thus its industrial use is limited. Immobilized pectinase can solve these problems well. We prepared a carrier material of immobilized enzyme, which is called porous spherical reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with a rich pore structure, large specific surface area, strong hardness, and good biocompatibility to enzyme. Then, we evaluated the performance of the porous spherical rGO immobilized pectinase and characterized its structure by IR, XRD, and SEM. Using this material as a carrier of immobilized enzyme improves the load and catalytic activity of the enzyme. After 10 times of continuous use, the porous spherical rGO immobilized enzyme still maintained its initial relative enzyme activity at around 87%, indicating that immobilized pectinase had a stronger cycling stability, and its thermal stability, acid-base tolerance, and storage stability were superior to those of free pectinase. The results were compared with those of other studies on immobilized pectinase. The relative activity of pectinase immobilized by porous spherical rGO was at a high level after 10 consecutive uses. Overall, the spherical rGO is an excellent immobilized enzyme carrier material.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy in the development of enzymatic sensors and immunosensors

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is very useful, non-invasive tool for the analysis of surfaces pre-modified with biomolecules or by whole cells. This review focuses on the application of SECM technique for the analysis of surfaces pre-modified with enzymes (horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase and glucose oxidase) or labelled with antibody-enzyme conjugates. The working principles and operating modes of SECM are outlined. The applicability of feedback, generation-collection and redox competition modes of SECM on surfaces modified by enzymes or labelled with antibody-enzyme conjugates is discussed. SECM is important in the development of miniaturized bioanalytical systems with enzymes, since it can provide information about the local enzyme activity. Technical challenges and advantages of SECM, experimental parameters, used enzymes and redox mediators, immunoassay formats and analytical parameters of enzymatic SECM sensors and immunosensors are reviewed.

Redox competition and generation-collection modes based scanning electrochemical microscopy for the evaluation of immobilised glucose oxidase-catalysed reactions

Redox competition (RC-SECM) and generation-collection (GC-SECM) modes of scanning electrochemical microscopy were applied for the evaluation of a glucose oxidase (GOx)-modified non-conducting poly(methyl methacrylate) surface.

Micropatterned multienzyme devices with adjustable amounts of immobilized enzymes

Multienzyme microstructures of glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were prepared by layer-by-layer deposition inside microfluidic networks on glass substrates in order to allow both site-specific deposition and control of the amount of immobilized enzymes. The obtained microstructures were characterized by scanning force microscopy for the topography of the deposited layers. The local enzyme activity was characterized by the substrate-generation/tip-collection mode and the enzyme-mediated feedback mode of the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM). These measurements provided quantitative information about the immobilized enzyme activity as a basis for adjusting enzyme loading for multienzyme structures that realize logical operations based on enzymatic conversions. Information about local HRP activity can also be obtained by optical readout using an Amplex UltraRed fluorgenic substrate and reading with a confocal laser scanning microscope with a much higher repetition rate for image acquisition. Using these principles, a layout with HRP and GOx microstructures was realized that showed the functionality of an OR Boolean logic switch.

Diffusion and reaction in microbead agglomerates

Scanning electrochemical microscopy has been used to analyze the flux of p-aminonophenol (PAP) produced by agglomerates of polymeric microbeads modified with galactosidase as a model system for the bead-based heterogeneous immunoassays. With the use of mixtures of enzyme-modified and bare beads in defined ratio, agglomerates with different saturation levels of the enzyme modification were produced. The PAP flux depends on the intrinsic kinetics of the galactosidase, the local availability of the substrate p-aminophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (PAPG), and the external mass transport conditions in the surrounding of the agglomerate and the internal mass transport within the bead agglomerate. The internal mass transport is influenced by the diffusional shielding of the modified beads by unmodified beads. SECM in combination with optical microscopy was used to determine experimentally the external flux. These data are in quantitative agreement with boundary element simulation considering the SECM microelectrode as an interacting probe and treating the Michaelis-Menten kinetics of the enzyme as nonlinear boundary conditions with two independent concentration variables [PAP] and [PAPG]. The PAPG concentration at the surface of the bead agglomerate was taken as a boundary condition for the analysis of the internal mass transport condition as a function of the enzyme saturation in the bead agglomerate. The results of this analysis are represented as PAP flux per contributing modified bead and the flux from freely suspended galactosidase-modified beads. These numbers are compared to the same number from the SECM experiments. It is shown that depending on the enzyme saturation level a different situation can arise where either beads located at the outer surface of the agglomerate dominate the contribution to the measured external flux or where the contribution of buried beads cannot be neglected for explaining the measured external flux.