Unamplified and Label‐Free Detection of HPV16 DNA Using CRISPR‐Cas12a‐Functionalized Solution‐Gated Graphene Transistors

Abstract

The persistent infection of high‐risk‐human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is considered an essential element for suffering cervical cancer. Despite polymerase chain reaction, loop‐mediated amplification, and microfluidic chips are used to detect the HPV16, these methods still exist some drawbacks including time‐consuming and false positive results. The CRISPR‐Cas system is widely used in the region of biological detection due to its precise targeted recognition capability. In this contribution, the novel solution‐gated graphene transistor sensor is designed to realize the unamplified and label‐free detection of HPV16 DNA. Using the precise recognition of the CRISPR‐Cas12a system and the gate functionalization, HPV16 DNA can be precisely identified without need the amplification and labeling. The limit of detection of the sensor can be up to 8.3 × 10−18 m and the detection can be within 20 min. Additionally, the heat‐Inactivated clinical samples can be clearly distinguished by the sensor the diagnosis results have a high degree of agreement with q‐PCR detection.