Ultra-sensitive dielectrophoretic surface charge multiplex detection inside a micro-dielectrophoretic device

Kang In Yeo; Insu Park; Sang Hyun Lee; Sei Young Lee; Woo-Jin Chang; Rashid Bashir; Seungyeop Choi; Sang Woo Lee

doi:10.1016/j.bios.2022.114235

Ultra-sensitive dielectrophoretic surface charge multiplex detection inside a micro-dielectrophoretic device

Biosens Bioelectron. 2022 Aug 15:210:114235. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114235. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Authors

Kang In Yeo¹, Insu Park², Sang Hyun Lee¹, Sei Young Lee¹, Woo-Jin Chang³, Rashid Bashir⁴, Seungyeop Choi⁵, Sang Woo Lee⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea.
² Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
³ Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA.
⁴ Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: seungyeop.choi@yonsei.ac.kr.
⁶ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yusuklee@yonsei.ac.kr.

PMID: 35483112
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114235

Abstract

Label-free dielectrophoretic force-based surface charge detection has shown great potential for highly sensitive and selective sensing of metal ions and small biomolecules. However, this method suffers from a complex calibration process and measurement signal interference in simultaneous multi-analyte detection, thus creating difficulties in multiplex detection. We have developed a method to overcome these issues based on the optical discrimination of the dielectrophoretic behaviors of multiple microparticle probes considering the surface charge difference before and after self-assembling conjugation. In this report, we demonstrate and characterize this dielectrophoretic force-based surface charge detection method with particle probes functionalized by various biomolecules. This technique achieved an attomolar limit of detection (LOD) for Hg²⁺ in distilled water and a femtomolar LOD in drinking water using DNA aptamer-functionalized particle probes. More importantly, using two different DNA aptamer-functionalized particle probes for Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺, label-free dielectrophoretic multiplex detection of these species in drinking water with a femtomolar and a nanomolar LOD was achieved for the first time.

Keywords: Dielectrophoresis; Label free; Micro-dielectrophoretic device; Multiplex detection; Surface charge; Ultra-sensitive.

MeSH terms

Aptamers, Nucleotide*
Biosensing Techniques* / methods
Drinking Water*
Limit of Detection
Mercury*

Substances

Aptamers, Nucleotide
Drinking Water
Mercury