Insulation by Solution 3-Mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) Coating: Effect of pH, Water, and MPS Content

A Novel Peptide-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies

The need for rapidly developed diagnostic tests has gained significant attention after the recent pandemic. Production of neutralizing antibodies for vaccine development or antibodies to be used in diagnostic tests usually require the usage of recombinant proteins representing the infectious agent. However, peptides that can mimic these recombinant proteins may be rapidly utilized, especially in emergencies such as the recent outbreak. Here, we report two peptides that mimic the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and investigate their binding behavior against the corresponding human immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M (IgG and IgM) antibodies in a clinical sample using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor. These peptides were immobilized on a QCM sensor surface, and their binding behavior was studied against a clinical serum sample that was previously determined to be IgG and IgM-positive. It was determined that designed peptides bind to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a clinical sample. These peptides might be useful for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using different methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or lateral flow assays. A similar platform might prove to be useful for the detection and development of antibodies in other infections.

Detection of Phenylarsine Oxide in Drinking Water Using an Impedimetric Electrochemical Sensor with Gelatin-Based Solid Electrolyte Enriched with Mercaptoethanol: A Novel Prospective Green Biosensor Methodology

A simple, inexpensive, rapid, and label-free detection of phenylarsine oxide (PAO) in the field is a significant and unmet need because of its fatally acute and chronic effects on human health. A simple, fast, sensitive, and relatively low-cost arsenic detection system with an eco-friendly sensor could fill this gap. To monitor arsenic in situ, a reliable, portable impedimetric electrochemical sensor is the most suitable platform, which is real-time, fast, low-cost, and easy to design and use and has high sensitivity at low detection limits in the nanogram per mL range. The detection system in this study has a patent-applied green sensor with minimum harm to nature and the potential to dissolve in nature. The electrode containing 15 mL of distilled water (DIW) + 2 g gelatin + 1.75 g glycerol was determined to be the most suitable for determining the amount of inorganic arsenic in the range of 1-100 ng/mL using a gelatin-based solid electrochemical sensor enriched with 2-mercaptoethanol. Impedance measurements were performed to analyze the stability of the sensor in both deionized water and drinking water, as well as for arsenic detection. Among the procedures examined, the procedure prepared with 15 mL DIW + 2 g glycerol + 1.75 g gelatin resulted in the best stability in aqueous medium and in sensitivity with resistance changes (-ΔR _ct (%)) of 12% (±0.62%), 26% (±2.3%), and 40% (±3.8%) for the concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL PAO in drinking water, respectively. With this detection methodology, there is the potential to detect not only arsenic but also other heavy metals in waters and different biomarkers in human fluids.

In situ, amplification-free double-stranded mutation detection at 60 copies/ml with thousand-fold wild type in urine

We have investigated amplification-free in situ double-stranded mutation detection in urine in the concentration range 10^-19 M - 10^-16 M using piezoelectric plate sensors (PEPs). The detection was carried out in a close-loop flow with two temperature zones. The 95 °C high-temperature zone served as the reservoir where the sample was loaded and DNA de-hybridized. The heated urine was cooled flowing through a 1 m long tubing immersed in room-temperature water bath at a flow rate of 4 ml/min to reach the detection cell at the desired temperature for the detection to take place. With hepatitis B virus double mutation (HBVDM) and KRAS G12V point mutation as model double mutations, it is shown that PEPS was able to detect double-stranded HBVDM and KRAS with 70% detection efficiency or better at concentration as low as 10^-19 M against single-stranded mutation detection at the same concentrations, which was validated by the following in situ fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) detection as well as microscopic visualization of the FRMs bound to the captured mutant on the PEPS surface. Furthermore, the same double-stranded mutation detection efficacy was demonstrated at 10^-19 M - 10^-16 M in a background of 250-fold wildtype for HBVDM and 1000-fold wildtype for KRAS. Also demonstrated was detection of KRAS mutation at 10^-19 M - 10^-16 M of SW480 DNA fragments in urine.

Piezoelectric Plate Sensor (PEPS) for Analysis of Specific KRAS Point Mutations at Low Copy Number in Urine Without DNA Isolation or Amplification

We have examined in situ detection of single-nucleotide KRAS mutations in urine using a (Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃)_0.65(PbTiO₃)_0.35 (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 17-nucleotide (nt) locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe DNA complementary to the KRAS mutation without DNA isolation and amplification. In situ mutant (MT) DNA in urine in a wild type (WT) background was carried out at a flow rate of 4 mL/min and at 63 °C with the PEPS vertically situated at the center of the flow. Both the temperature and the impingement flow force discriminated the wild type. Under these conditions PEPS was shown to specifically detect KRAS MT in situ within 30 min with an analytical sensitivity of 60 copies/mL in a clinically relevant background of WT with concentrations 1000-fold greater than that of MT without DNA isolation, amplification, or labeling. For validation, detection was performed in a mixture of blue MT fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) (MT FRMs) that bound to only the captured MT, and orange WT FRMs that bound to only the captured WT. The captured blue MT FRMs still outnumbered the orange WT FRMs by a factor of 4-1 even though WT was 1000-fold of MT in urine, illustrating the specificity of the point mutation detection.

Amplification-free in situ KRAS point mutation detection at 60 copies per mL in urine in a background of 1000-fold wild type

We have examined the in situ detection of a single-nucleotide KRAS mutation in urine using a (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65(PbTiO3)0.35 (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 17-nucleotide (nt) locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe DNA complementary to the KRAS mutation. To enhance the in situ mutant (MT) DNA detection specificity against the wild type (WT), detection was carried out in a flow with a flow rate of 4 mL min(-1) and at 63 °C with the PEPS vertically situated at the center of the flow in which both the temperature and the flow impingement force discriminated the wild type. Under such conditions, PEPS was shown to specifically detect KRAS MT in situ with 60 copies per mL analytical sensitivity in a background of clinically-relevant 1000-fold more WT in 30 min without DNA isolation, amplification, or labeling. For validation, this detection was followed with detection in a mixture of blue MT fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) (MT FRMs) that bound to only the captured MT and orange WT FRMs that bound to only the captured WT. Microscopic examinations showed that the captured blue MT FRMs still outnumbered the orange WT FRMs by a factor of 4 to 1 even though WT was 1000-fold of MT in urine. Finally, multiplexed specific mutation detection was demonstrated using a 6-PEPS array each with a probe DNA targeting one of the 6 codon-12 KRAS mutations.

DNA hybridization detection with 100 zM sensitivity using piezoelectric plate sensors with an improved noise-reduction algorithm

We have examined real-time, in situ hybridization detection of target DNA (tDNA) in a buffer solution and in urine using 8 μm-thick lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensors (PEPSs) about 1.1-1.2 mm long and 0.45 mm wide with improved 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) insulation and a new multiple-parabola (>50) resonance peak position fitting algorithm. With probe DNA (pDNA) immobilized on the PEPS surface and by monitoring the first width extension mode (WEM) resonance frequency shift we detected tDNA in real time at concentration as low as 1 × 10(-19) M in urine (100 zM) with a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 13 without DNA isolation and amplification at room temperature in 30 min. The present multiple-parabola fitting algorithm increased the detection of SNR by about 10 times compared to those obtained using the raw data and by about 5 times compared to those obtained using single parabola fitting. The detection was validated by in situ follow-up detection and subsequent visualization of fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) coated with reporter DNA complementary to the tDNA but different from the probe pDNA.

Specific in situ hepatitis B viral double mutation (HBVDM) detection in urine with 60 copies ml(-1) analytical sensitivity in a background of 250-fold wild type without DNA isolation and amplification

We have examined in situ detection of hepatitis B virus 1762T/1764A double mutation (HBVDM) in urine using a (Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3)(0.65)(PbTiO3)(0.35) (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 16-nucleotide (nt) probe DNA (pDNA) complementary to the HBVDM. The in situ mutation (MT) detection was carried out in a flow with the PEPS vertically situated at the center of the flow in a background of wild type (WT). For validation, this detection was followed by detection in the mixture of MT fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) (MT FRMs) and WT FRMs that emitted different fluorescence colours and were designed to specifically bind to MT and WT, respectively. At 30 °C and 4 ml min(-1), a PEPS was shown to specifically detect HBVDM in situ with 60 copies ml(-1) analytical sensitivity in a background of clinically-relevant 250-fold more WT in 30 min without DNA isolation, amplification, or labelling as validated by the visualization of the captured MT FRMs and WT FRMs following FRM detection where the captured MT FRMs outnumbered the WT FRMs by a factor of 5 to 1.

Temperature- and flow-enhanced detection specificity of mutated DNA against the wild type with reporter microspheres

Detection of mutated (MT) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amongst the wild type (WT) requires the probe DNA (pDNA) that is complementary to the MT to discriminate the WT by one or two nucleotide mismatches. Traditionally this is achieved by raising the temperature to above the melting temperature (Tm) of the WT (TWT) but below that of the MT (TMT). However, a raised temperature is also accompanied by a weakened binding of the MT to the pDNA which can reduce the detection sensitivity. In this study, we investigated flow as a way to enhance MT detection specificity at a lower temperature. Gold-coated glass (GCG) slides immobilized with pDNA complementary to the target MT were placed at the center of the flow cell. The detection was done by flowing MT or WT at various concentrations followed by flowing 10(5) ml(-1) fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) that were 6 μm in size and coated with reporter DNA complementary to the MT or WT but different from the pDNA at various flow rates and temperatures. The detection of MT or WT was characterized by counting the FRMs captured on the GCG. Hepatitis B virus 1762/1764 double mutation (HBV DM) was the model MT and the TMT and TWT were 47 °C and 22 °C, respectively. It was shown that at room temperature, flow initially increased the binding of both the MT and WT at lower flow rates but decreased the binding at flow rates ≥4 ml min(-1) due to the increase in the flow-induced impingement force on the FRMs to overcome the binding of the MT and the WT to the GCG at higher flow rates. At ≥30 °C the decrease in binding of the WT with an increasing flow rate was more than that of the MT because 30 °C was above the TWT but still well below the TMT. As a result, the detection of MT at 30 °C with a flow rate of 4 ml min(-1) was more specific than at 35 °C without flow. These results indicate that flow can diminish WT binding at a lower temperature than without flow and allow MT detection to occur at a lower temperature with high specificity.