Electrochemical Detection of Short DNA Sequences Related to the Escherichia coli Pathogen Using a Zirconia-Modified Screen-Printed DNA Biosensor

Shao-Hua Zuo; Ling-Fan Zhang; Yan-Hui Zhao; Hui-Hui Yuan; Min-Bo Lan; Geoffrey A. Lawrance; Gang Wei

doi:10.1071/CH08390

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Electrochemical Detection of Short DNA Sequences Related to the Escherichia coli Pathogen Using a Zirconia-Modified Screen-Printed DNA Biosensor

Shao-Hua Zuo ^A , Ling-Fan Zhang ^A , Yan-Hui Zhao ^A , Hui-Hui Yuan ^B , Min-Bo Lan ^A ^B ^E , Geoffrey A. Lawrance ^C ^E and Gang Wei ^D ^E

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Research Centre of Analysis and Test and Institute of Advanced Materials, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.

^B Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of the Chinese Education Ministry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.

^C Discipline of Chemistry, School of Environment and Life Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.

^D CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, PO Box 218, Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia.

^E Corresponding authors. Email: minbolan@ecust.edu.cn; geoffrey.lawrance@newcastle.edu.au; gang.wei@csiro.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 61(12) 962-967 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH08390
Submitted: 15 September 2008 Accepted: 5 November 2008 Published: 10 December 2008

Abstract

A simple, disposable and inexpensive electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a zirconia (ZrO₂) modified thin film screen-printed electrode (ZrO₂/SPE) has been developed. Short DNA sequences (21 monomer units) from the Escherichia coli pathogen, modified with a phosphate group at the 5′ end, were attached to the surface of the electrode through the affinity of the phosphate group for zirconia, to produce an effective DNA probe (ssDNA/ZrO₂/SPE). DNA immobilization and hybridization were characterized using differential pulse voltammetry by employing methylene blue as redox indicator. Target sequences hybridized with the probe resulted in a decrease of the reduction peak current of methylene blue intercalated into the probe. The response of a non-complementary sequence and a single base pair mismatch sequence were both clearly distinguished from that of a complementary sequence. The developed biosensor had a high selectivity and sensitivity towards hybridization detection (10^–10 M complementary DNA detectable). Making use of screen-printed technology, the fabrication of the biosensors exhibited satisfactory reproducibility, investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The relative standard deviation was found to be <3.0% for six bare SPEs and six ssDNA-modified SPEs (ssDNA/ZrO₂/SPE) from a batch.

Acknowledgement

The support of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM; No. 065407061) is gratefully acknowledged.

References

Electrochemical Detection of Short DNA Sequences Related to the Escherichia coli Pathogen Using a Zirconia-Modified Screen-Printed DNA Biosensor

Abstract

Acknowledgement

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