Class enzyme-based motors for "on the fly" enantiomer analysis of amino acids

Abstract

Here, two class-enzyme motors are properly designed allowing the rapid dispersion of the class-enzyme D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) and L-amino acid oxidase (LAO) for selective "on the fly" biodetection of D and L-amino acids (AAs), respectively. The efficient movement together with the continuous release of fresh class-enzyme leads to a greatly accelerated enzymatic reaction processes without the need of external stirring or chemical and physical attachment of the enzyme. Ultra-fast detection (<2min) and accurate quantifications of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) in plasma and whole-blood newborns samples diagnosed with Phenylketonuria and total D-AAs in Vibrio cholera cultures are pioneer illustrated as relevant examples of each enantiomer determination. These results opens clearly novel avenues in biosensing for fast screening diagnostics, decentralized monitoring and design of future points of care.

Keywords: Class-enzyme motors; Enantiomers; Millimeter motors; Phenylketonuria; Vibrio Cholerae.