Dual-Mode Graphene Field-Effect Transistor Biosensor with Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification

Biosensors (Basel). 2024 Feb 8;14(2):91. doi: 10.3390/bios14020091.

Abstract

Despite a substantial increase in testing facilities during the pandemic, access remains a major obstacle, particularly in low-resource and remote areas. This constraint emphasizes the need for high-throughput potential point-of-care diagnostic tools in environments with limited resources. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a promising technique, but improvements in sensitivity are needed for accurate detection, especially in scenarios where the virus is present in low quantities. To achieve this objective, we present a highly sensitive detection approach of a dual-mode graphene-based field-effect transistor (G-FET) biosensor with LAMP. The G-FET biosensor, which has a transparent graphene microelectrode array on a glass substrate, detects LAMP products in less than 30 min using both observable color changes and Dirac point voltage measurements, even in samples with low viral concentrations. This dual-mode G-FET biosensor emerges as a potential alternative to conventional RT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 detection or point-of-care testing, particularly in resource-constrained scenarios such as developing countries. Moreover, its capacity for colorimetric detection with the naked eye enhances its applicability in diverse settings.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; colorimetric detection; graphene field-effect transistor; loop-mediated isothermal amplification; multi-array.

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques* / methods
  • COVID-19*
  • Graphite*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / methods
  • Nucleic Acids*
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Graphite
  • Nucleic Acids