Rapid diagnosis is critical for the treatment and prevention of diseases. An advanced nanomaterial‐based biosensing platform that detects COVID‐19 antibodies within seconds is reported. The biosensing platform is created by 3D nanoprinting of three‐dimensional electrodes, coating the electrodes by nanoflakes of reduced‐graphene‐oxide (rGO), and immobilizing specific viral antigens on the rGO nanoflakes. The electrode is then integrated with a microfluidic device and used in a standard electrochemical cell. When antibodies are introduced on the electrode surface, they selectively bind with the antigens, changing the impedance of the electrical circuit which is detected via impedance spectroscopy. Antibodies to SARS‐CoV‐2 spike S1 protein and its receptor‐binding‐domain (RBD) are detected at a limit‐of‐detection of 2.8 × 10−15 and 16.9 × 10−15 m, respectively, and read by a smartphone‐based user interface. The sensor can be regenerated within a minute by introducing a low‐pH chemistry that elutes the antibodies from the antigens, allowing successive sensing of test samples using the same sensor. Sensing of S1 and RBD antibodies is specific, which cross‐reacts neither with other antibodies such as RBD, S1, and nucleocapsid antibody nor with proteins such as interleukin‐6. The proposed sensing platform could also be useful to detect biomarkers for other infectious agents such as Ebola, HIV, and Zika.
Sensing of clinically relevant biomolecules such as neurotransmitters at low concentrations can enable an early detection and treatment of a range of diseases. Several nanostructures are being explored by researchers to detect biomolecules at sensitivities beyond the picomolar range. It is recognized, however, that nanostructuring of surfaces alone is not sufficient to enhance sensor sensitivities down to the femtomolar level. In this paper, we break this barrier/limit by introducing a sensing platform that uses a multi-length-scale electrode architecture consisting of 3D printed silver micropillars decorated with graphene nanoflakes and use it to demonstrate the detection of dopamine at a limit-of-detection of 500 attomoles. The graphene provides a high surface area at nanoscale, while micropillar array accelerates the interaction of diffusing analyte molecules with the electrode at low concentrations. The hierarchical electrode architecture introduced in this work opens the possibility of detecting biomolecules at ultralow concentrations.
Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) provide the means to record electrophysiological activity fundamental to both basic and clinical neuroscience (e.g. brain-computer interfaces). Despite recent advances, current MEAs have significant limitations -including recording density, fragility, expense, and the inability to optimize the probe to individualized study or patient needs.Here we address the technological limitations through the utilization of the newest developments in 3D nanoparticle printing. 1 Our 'CMU Arrays' possess previously impossible electrode densities (> 6000 channels/cm 2 ) with tip diameters as small as 10µm. Most importantly, the probes are entirely customizable owing to the adaptive manufacturing process. Any combination of individual shank lengths, impedances, and layouts are possible. This is achieved in part via our new multi-layer, multi material, custom 3D-printed circuit boards, a fabrication advancement in itself. This device design enables new experimental avenues of targeted, large-scale recording of electrical signals from a variety of biological tissues.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.