3D-Printed Flow Cells for Aptamer-Based Impedimetric Detection of E. coli Crooks Strain

Disposable electrochemical biosensors for the detection of bacteria in the light of antimicrobial resistance

Persistent and inappropriate use of antibiotics is causing rife antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. Common bacterial infections are thus becoming increasingly difficult to treat without the use of last resort antibiotics. This has necessitated a situation where it is imperative to confirm the infection to be bacterial, before treating it with antimicrobial speculatively. Conventional methods of bacteria detection are either culture based which take anywhere between 24 and 96 hor require sophisticated molecular analysis equipment with libraries and trained operators. These are difficult propositions for resource limited community healthcare setups of developing or less developed countries. Customized, inexpensive, point-of-care (PoC) biosensors are thus being researched and developed for rapid detection of bacterial pathogens. The development and optimization of disposable sensor substrates is the first and crucial step in development of such PoC systems. The substrates should facilitate easy charge transfer, a high surface to volume ratio, be tailorable by the various bio-conjugation chemistries, preserve the integrity of the biorecognition element, yet be inexpensive. Such sensor substrates thus need to be thoroughly investigated. Further, if such systems were made disposable, they would attain immunity to biofouling. This article discusses a few potential disposable electrochemical sensor substrates deployed for detection of bacteria for environmental and healthcare applications. The technologies have significant potential in helping reduce bacterial infections and checking AMR. This could help save lives of people succumbing to bacterial infections, as well as improve the overall quality of lives of people in low- and middle-income countries.

Recent progress in biosensor regeneration techniques

Biosensors are widely used in various applications, from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring. Their widespread and continuous use necessitates regeneration methods to ensure cost-effectiveness and sustainability. In the realm of advancing human-centric bioelectronics for continuous monitoring, employing these sensors for real-time, in situ detection of biomarkers presents a considerable challenge. This mini-review examines diverse strategies utilized for the regeneration of biosensors, categorizing them based on their underlying mechanisms and discussing representative works. We explore methods ranging from surface engineering/re-functionalization, chemical treatments, allosteric regulation of bioreceptors, to manipulations of electric/magnetic fields, highlighting their working principles and exemplary studies. The advantages of each method, such as simplicity, high regeneration efficiency, and versatility, are discussed alongside their challenges, including degradation over cycles, limited applicability, and potential damage to sensors. As the demand for continuous and real-time biosensing escalates, the development of efficient and reliable regeneration strategies becomes essential. This mini-review offers an overview of the current landscape of biosensor regeneration, aiming to guide future research and innovations in this area.

Advances in endotoxin analysis

The outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria is primarily composed of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition to protection, LPS defines the distinct serogroups used to identify bacteria specifically. Furthermore, LPS also act as highly potent stimulators of innate immune cells, a phenomenon essential to understanding pathogen invasion in the body. The complex multi-step process of LPS binding to cells involves several binding partners, including LPS binding protein (LBP), CD14 in both membrane-bound and soluble forms, membrane protein MD-2, and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Once these pathways are activated, pro-inflammatory cytokines are eventually expressed. These binding events are also affected by the presence of monomeric or aggregated LPS. Traditional techniques to detect LPS include the rabbit pyrogen test, the monocyte activation test and Limulus-based tests. Modern approaches are based on protein, antibodies or aptamer binding. Recently, novel techniques including electrochemical methods, HPLC, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and molecular imprinting have been developed. These approaches often use nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, nanotubes, and magnetic nanoparticles. This chapter reviews current developments in endotoxin detection with a focus on modern novel techniques that use various sensing components, ranging from natural biomolecules to synthetic materials. Highly integrated and miniaturized commercial endotoxin detection devices offer a variety of options as the scientific and technologic revolution proceeds.

Sensor integration into microfluidic systems: trends and challenges

The combination of sensors and microfluidics has become a promising approach for detecting a wide variety of targets relevant in biotechnology. Thanks to recent advances in the manufacturing of microfluidic systems, microfluidics can be manufactured faster, cheaper, and more accurately than ever before. These advances make microfluidic systems very appealing as a basis for constructing sensor systems, and microfluidic devices have been adapted to house (bio)sensors for various applications (e.g. protein biomarker detection, cell culture oxygen control, and pathogen detection). This review article highlights several successfully integrated microfluidic sensor systems, with a focus on work that has been published within the last two years. Different sensor integration methods are discussed, and the latest trends in wearable- and smartphone-based sensors are described.

3D-Printed Microfluidic Perfusion System for Parallel Monitoring of Hydrogel-Embedded Cell Cultures

The use of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures has become increasingly popular in the contexts of drug discovery, disease modelling, and tissue engineering, as they aim to replicate in vivo-like conditions. To achieve this, new hydrogels are being developed to mimic the extracellular matrix. Testing the ability of these hydrogels is crucial, and the presented 3D-printed microfluidic perfusion system offers a novel solution for the parallel cultivation and evaluation of four separate 3D cell cultures. This system enables easy microscopic monitoring of the hydrogel-embedded cells and significantly reduces the required volumes of hydrogel and cell suspension. This cultivation device is comprised of two 3D-printed parts, which provide four cell-containing hydrogel chambers and the associated perfusion medium chambers. An interfacing porous membrane ensures a defined hydrogel thickness and prevents flow-induced hydrogel detachment. Integrated microfluidic channels connect the perfusion chambers to the overall perfusion system, which can be operated in a standard CO₂-incubator. A 3D-printed adapter ensures the compatibility of the cultivation device with standard imaging systems. Cultivation and cell staining experiments with hydrogel-embedded murine fibroblasts confirmed that cell morphology, viability, and growth inside this cultivation device are comparable with those observed within standard 96-well plates. Due to the high degree of customization offered by additive manufacturing, this system has great potential to be used as a customizable platform for 3D cell culture applications.

Development of silver nanoparticles and aptamer conjugated biosensor for rapid detection of E. coli in a water sample

A simple, rapid, and sensitive electrochemical biosensor based on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was developed for onsite detection of E. coli in real time. This work analyzed the effect of aptamer conjugation and PBS buffer solution on the colloidal stability of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Aggregations of the AgNPs after aptamer conjugation in PBS buffer were observed from the particle size distribution analysis. The AgNP-aptamer conjugation and its affinity towards E. coli (DH5α) were confirmed by UV-visible spectrophotometry, which showed a linear increment in the absorption with increasing E.coli concentration. The screen-printed carbon electrodes were modified by drop-casting of AgNPs, which were used as an effective immobilization platform for E. coli-specific aptamers. The modified electrode's surface modification and redox behavior were characterized using cyclic voltammetry. Finally, E. coli was detected using differential pulse voltammetry with an optimized incubation time of 15 min. The developed biosensors showed a linear decrease in current intensity with an increase in the concentration of E. coli. The biosensor had a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 6.91% (n = 3), which showed good reproducibility. The developed biosensors are highly sensitive and have a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 150 CFU/ml. The biosensor showed good selectivity for E.coli coli when comparing the signal response obtained for bacteria other than E.coli. Also, the biosensor was found stable for four weeks at room temperature and showed high recoveries from 95.27% to 107% during the tap water sensitivity validation.

Implementation of 3D printing technologies to electrochemical and optical biosensors developed for biomedical and pharmaceutical analysis

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been applied in many areas. In recent years, new generation biosensorshave been emerged with the progress on 3D printing technology (3DPT) . Especially in the development of optical and electrochemical biosensors, 3DPT provides many advantages such as low cost, easy to manufacturing, being disposable and allow point of care testing. In this review, recent trends in the development of 3DPT based electrochemical and optical biosensors with their applications in the field of biomedical and pharmaceutical are examined. In addition, the advantages, disadvantages and future opportunities of 3DPT are discussed.

Lab-on-a-Chip Electrochemical Biosensors for Foodborne Pathogen Detection: A Review of Common Standards and Recent Progress

Foodborne pathogens are an important diagnostic target for the food, beverage, and health care industries due to their prevalence and the adverse effects they can cause to public health, food safety, and the economy. The standards that determine whether a given type of food is fit for consumption are set by governments and must be taken into account when designing a new diagnostic tool such as a biosensor platform. In order to meet these stringent detection limits, cost, and reliability standards, recent research has been focused on developing lab-on-a-chip-based approaches for detection devices that use microfluidic channels and platforms. The microfluidics-based devices are designed, developed, and used in different ways to achieve the established common standards for food pathogen testing that enable high throughput, rapid detection, low sample volume, and minimal pretreatment procedures. Combining microfluidic approaches with electrochemical biosensing could offer affordable, portable, and easy to use devices for food pathogen diagnostics. This review presents an analysis of the established common standards and the recent progress made in electrochemical sensors toward the development of future lab-on-a-chip devices that will aid 'collection-to-detection' using a single method and platform.

A Wireless, Regeneratable Cocaine Sensing Scheme Enabled by Allosteric Regulation of pH Sensitive Aptamers

A key challenge for achieving continuous biosensing with existing technologies is the poor reusability of the biorecognition interface due to the difficulty in the dissociation of analytes from the bioreceptors upon surface saturation. In this work, we introduce a regeneratable biosensing scheme enabled by allosteric regulation of a re-engineered pH sensitive anti-cocaine aptamer. The aptamer can regain its affinity with target analytes due to proton-promoted duplex-to-triplex transition in DNA configuration followed by the release of adsorbed analytes. A Pd/PdH_x electrode placed next to the sensor can enable the pH regulation of the local chemical environment via electrochemical reactions. Demonstration of a "flower-shaped", stretchable, and inductively coupled electronic system with sensing and energy harvesting capabilities provides a promising route to designing wireless devices in biointegrated forms. These advances have the potential for future development of electronic sensing platforms with on-chip regeneration capability for continuous, quantitative, and real-time monitoring of chemical and biological markers.

Label-free electrochemical microfluidic biosensors: futuristic point-of-care analytical devices for monitoring diseases

The integration of microfluidics with electrochemical analysis has resulted in the development of single miniaturized detection systems, which allows the precise control of sample volume with multianalyte detection capability in a cost- and time-effective manner. Microfluidic electrochemical sensing devices (MESDs) can potentially serve as precise sensing and monitoring systems for the detection of molecular markers in various detrimental diseases. MESDs offer several advantages, including (i) automated sample preparation and detection, (ii) low sample and reagent requirement, (iii) detection of multianalyte in a single run, (iv) multiplex analysis in a single integrated device, and (v) portability with simplicity in application and disposability. Label-free MESDs can serve an affordable real-time detection with a simple analysis in a short processing time, providing point-of-care diagnosis/detection possibilities in precision medicine, and environmental analysis. In the current review, we elaborate on label-free microfluidic biosensors, provide comprehensive insights into electrochemical detection techniques, and discuss the principles of label-free microfluidic-based sensing approaches.

3D Printing Technologies in Biosensors Production: Recent Developments

Recent advances in 3D printing technologies and materials have enabled rapid development of innovative sensors for applications in different aspects of human life. Various 3D printing technologies have been adopted to fabricate biosensors or some of their components thanks to the advantages of these methodologies over the traditional ones, such as end-user customization and rapid prototyping. In this review, the works published in the last two years on 3D-printed biosensors are considered and grouped on the basis of the 3D printing technologies applied in different fields of application, highlighting the main analytical parameters. In the first part, 3D methods are discussed, after which the principal achievements and promising aspects obtained with the 3D-printed sensors are reported. An overview of the recent developments on this current topic is provided, as established by the considered works in this multidisciplinary field. Finally, future challenges on the improvement and innovation of the 3D printing technologies utilized for biosensors production are discussed.

Development and Characterization of Novel Flow Injection, Thin-Layer, and Batch Cells for Electroanalytical Applications Using Screen-Printed Electrodes

In the present paper, the design, fabrication, and analytical applications of three novel cells for flow injection, thin-layer, and batch electrochemical measurements using screen-printed electrode chips (SPECs) are described. Each cell consisted of an acrylic base and a transparent acrylic cover. The essential construction feature of each cell base was a cavity to accommodate the SPEC, whereas the construction features of the clear acrylic cover determined the cell shape and its function. The presented cells offered several common advantages, which include (i) convenient electrical connection of the SPEC to any potentiostat without the need for special cables, (ii) the SPEC was completely contained within the cell body, which eliminated the risk of its breakage, (iii) suitable for use with a large number of commercially available SPECs, and (iv) excellent SPEC sealing. The flow cell offered additional advantages of convenient customization of the cell dead volume and convenient visual inspection of the surface and the vicinity of SPEs. The presented thin-layer cell is the first report on a dedicated cell which realized a near-ideal thin-layer steady-state voltammetry using SPECs. The universal batch cell (UBC) offered extreme versatility and proved suitable for all batch applications in sample volumes ranging from 25 μL to 40 mL with an optional controlled temperature and atmosphere. Moreover, a novel way to achieve stirred-solution chronoamperometry and hydrodynamic voltammetry using SPECs (with superior signal-to-noise ratios) using the UBC is described. Electrochemical measurements to demonstrate the merits and the applicability of all cells are also presented.

Development of Electrochemical Aptasensor for Lung Cancer Diagnostics in Human Blood

We describe the preparation and characterization of an aptamer-based electrochemical sensor to lung cancer tumor markers in human blood. The highly reproducible aptamer sensing layer with a high density (up to 70% coverage) on the gold electrode was made. Electrochemical methods and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to study the stability of the aptamer layer structure and binding ability. A new blocking agent, a thiolated oligonucleotide with an unrelated sequence, was applied to fill the aptamer layer’s defects. Electrochemical aptasensor signal processing was enhanced using deep learning and computer simulation of the experimental data array. It was found that the combinations (coupled and tripled) of cyclic voltammogram features allowed for distinguishing between the samples from lung cancer patients and healthy candidates with a mean accuracy of 0.73. The capacitive component from the non-Faradic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data indicated the tumor marker’s presence in a sample. These findings allowed for the creation of highly informative aptasensors for early lung cancer diagnostics.

3D printing in biotechnology-An insight into miniaturized and microfluidic systems for applications from cell culture to bioanalytics

Since its invention in the 1980s, 3D printing has evolved into a versatile technique for the additive manufacturing of diverse objects and tools, using various materials. The relative flexibility, straightforwardness, and ability to enable rapid prototyping are tremendous advantages offered by this technique compared to conventional methods for miniaturized and microfluidic systems fabrication (such as soft lithography). The development of 3D printers exhibiting high printer resolution has enabled the fabrication of accurate miniaturized and microfluidic systems-which have, in turn, substantially reduced both device sizes and required sample volumes. Moreover, the continuing development of translucent, heat resistant, and biocompatible materials will make 3D printing more and more useful for applications in biotechnology in the coming years. Today, a wide variety of 3D-printed objects in biotechnology-ranging from miniaturized cultivation chambers to microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices for diagnostics-are already being deployed in labs across the world. This review explains the 3D printing technologies that are currently used to fabricate such miniaturized microfluidic devices, and also seeks to offer some insight into recent developments demonstrating the use of these tools for biotechnological applications such as cell culture, separation techniques, and biosensors.

Electrochemical flow injection analysis of the interaction between pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and α-synuclein peptides related to Parkinson's disease

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a hallmark protein of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aggregation process of α-syn has been heavily associated with the pathogenesis of PD. With the exponentially growing number of potential therapeutic compounds that can inhibit the aggregation of α-syn, there is now a significant demand for a high-throughput analysis system. Herein, a novel flow injection analysis system with an electrochemical biosensor as the detector was developed to study the interaction of a well-described antioxidant and amyloid inhibitor, pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) with α-synuclein peptides. Screen-printed gold electrodes (SPEs) were modified using heptapeptides from α-syn wild-type (WT) and mutants such as lysine knock-out (ETEE) and E46K. Affinity binding events between these peptides and PQQ were analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and further confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. HPLC and LC/MS results revealed that PQQ formed a stable complex with α-syn. NMR results confirmed that the α-syn-PQQ complex was formed via a Schiff base formation-like process. In addition, results showed that lysine residues influenced the binding event, in which the presence of an extra lysine stabilized the α-syn-PQQ complex, and the absence of a lysine significantly decreased the interaction of α-syn with PQQ. Therefore, we concluded that EIS is a promising technique for the evaluation of the interaction between PQQ-based amyloid inhibitors and α-syn. The electrochemical flow injection analysis assembly provided a rapid and low-cost drug discovery platform for the evaluation of small molecule-protein interactions.

Recent Advances and a Roadmap to Aptamer-Based Sensors for Bloodstream Infections

The present review is intended to describe bloodstream infections (BSIs), the major pathogens responsible for BSIs, conventional tests and their limitations, commercially available methods used, and the aptamer and nanomaterials-based approaches developed so far for the detection of BSIs. The advantages associated with aptamers and the aptamer-based sensors, the comparison between the aptamers and the antibodies, and the various types of aptasensors developed so far for the detection of bloodstream infections have been described in detail in the present review. Also, the future outlook and roadmap toward aptamer-based sensors and the challenges associated with the aptamer development have also been concluded in this review.

Label-Free Electrochemical Sensor for Rapid Bacterial Pathogen Detection Using Vancomycin-Modified Highly Branched Polymers

Rapid point of care tests for bacterial infection diagnosis are of great importance to reduce the misuse of antibiotics and burden of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we have successfully combined a new class of non-biological binder molecules with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based sensor detection for direct, label-free detection of Gram-positive bacteria making use of the specific coil-to-globule conformation change of the vancomycin-modified highly branched polymers immobilized on the surface of gold screen-printed electrodes upon binding to Gram-positive bacteria. Staphylococcus carnosus was detected after just 20 min incubation of the sample solution with the polymer-functionalized electrodes. The polymer conformation change was quantified with two simple 1 min EIS tests before and after incubation with the sample. Tests revealed a concentration dependent signal change within an OD600 range of Staphylococcus carnosus from 0.002 to 0.1 and a clear discrimination between Gram-positive Staphylococcus carnosus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. This exhibits a clear advancement in terms of simplified test complexity compared to existing bacteria detection tests. In addition, the polymer-functionalized electrodes showed good storage and operational stability.

3D-printed microfluidics integrated with optical nanostructured porous aptasensors for protein detection

Microfluidic integration of biosensors enables improved biosensing performance and sophisticated lab-on-a-chip platform design for numerous applications. While soft lithography and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidics are still considered the gold standard, 3D-printing has emerged as a promising fabrication alternative for microfluidic systems. Herein, a 3D-printed polyacrylate-based microfluidic platform is integrated for the first time with a label-free porous silicon (PSi)-based optical aptasensor via a facile bonding method. The latter utilizes a UV-curable adhesive as an intermediate layer, while preserving the delicate nanostructure of the porous regions within the microchannels. As a proof-of-concept, a generic model aptasensor for label-free detection of his-tagged proteins is constructed, characterized, and compared to non-microfluidic and PDMS-based microfluidic setups. Detection of the target protein is carried out by real-time monitoring reflectivity changes of the PSi, induced by the target binding to the immobilized aptamers within the porous nanostructure. The microfluidic integrated aptasensor has been successfully used for detection of a model target protein, in the range 0.25 to 18 μM, with a good selectivity and an improved limit of detection, when compared to a non-microfluidic biosensing platform (0.04 μM vs. 2.7 μM, respectively). Furthermore, a superior performance of the 3D-printed microfluidic aptasensor is obtained, compared to a conventional PDMS-based microfluidic platform with similar dimensions.

Microfluidics in Biotechnology: Quo Vadis

The emerging technique of microfluidics offers new approaches for precisely controlling fluidic conditions on a small scale, while simultaneously facilitating data collection in both high-throughput and quantitative manners. As such, the so-called lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems have the potential to revolutionize the field of biotechnology. But what needs to happen in order to truly integrate them into routine biotechnological applications? In this chapter, some of the most promising applications of microfluidic technology within the field of biotechnology are surveyed, and a few strategies for overcoming current challenges posed by microfluidic LOC systems are examined. In addition, we also discuss the intensifying trend (across all biotechnology fields) of using point-of-use applications which is being facilitated by new technological achievements.

Miniaturized free-flow electrophoresis: production, optimization, and application using 3D printing technology

The increasing resolution of three-dimensional (3D) printing offers simplified access to, and development of, microfluidic devices with complex 3D structures. Therefore, this technology is increasingly used for rapid prototyping in laboratories and industry. Microfluidic free flow electrophoresis (μFFE) is a versatile tool to separate and concentrate different samples (such as DNA, proteins, and cells) to different outlets in a time range measured in mere tens of seconds and offers great potential for use in downstream processing, for example. However, the production of μFFE devices is usually rather elaborate. Many designs are based on chemical pretreatment or manual alignment for the setup. Especially for the separation chamber of a μFFE device, this is a crucial step which should be automatized. We have developed a smart 3D design of a μFFE to pave the way for a simpler production. This study presents (1) a robust and reproducible way to build up critical parts of a μFFE device based on high-resolution MultiJet 3D printing; (2) a simplified insertion of commercial polycarbonate membranes to segregate separation and electrode chambers; and (3) integrated, 3D-printed wells that enable a defined sample fractionation (chip-to-world interface). In proof of concept experiments both a mixture of fluorescence dyes and a mixture of amino acids were successfully separated in our 3D-printed μFFE device.