Aptasensors based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Resumen

In the recent years, due to the need for rapid diagnosis and improvements in sensing, new recognition elements are employed in biosensors. One kind of these new recognition elements are aptamers. Aptamers are synthetic strands of DNA or RNA which are selected in vitro and have the ability to bind to proteins, ions, whole cells, drugs and low molecular weight ligands recognizing their target with high affinity and specificity. Several aptamer-based biosensors, also called aptasensors, have been recently developed. Among all the transduction techniques employed in biosensors, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy has widely used as a tool for characterizing sensor platforms and for studying biosensing events at the surface of the electrodes. The important feature presented by this technique is that it does not require any labelled species for the transduction; thus, this detection technique can be used for designing label-free protocols thus avoiding more expensive and time-consuming assays. The main aim of this PhD work was the development of aptasensors using the electrochemical impedance technique previously mentioned for protein detection. For that, different types of electrodes were used, such as Graphite Epoxy Composite electrodes (GECs), Avidin Graphite Epoxy Composite electrodes (AvGECs) and commercial Multi-Walled carbon nanotubes screen printed electrodes (MWCNT-SPE). The work was divided in two main parts according to the detection of the two different proteins. The first part was focused on thrombin detection. First of all, different impedimetric label-free aptasensors based on several aptamer immobilization techniques such as wet physical adsorption, avidin-biotin affinity and covalent bond via electrochemical activation of the electrode surface and via electrochemical grafting were developed and evaluated. Then, AvGECs electrodes were compared as a platform for genosensing and aptasensing. With the aim to amplying the obtained impedimetric signal using AvGECs, an aptamer sandwich protocol for thrombin detection was used including streptavidin gold-nanoparticles (Strep-AuNPs) and silver enhancement treatment. The second part of the study was based on cytochrome c detection. Firstly, a simple label-free aptasensor for the detection of this protein using a wet physical adsorption immobilization technique was performed. Finally, with the goal to amplify the impedimetric signal, a hybrid aptamer-antibody sandwich assay using MWCNT-SPE for the detection of the target protein was carried out. In this way, the thesis explores and compares a wide scope of immobilization procedures, the use of label-free or nanocomponent modified biomolecules in different direct or amplified protocols, and the use of direct recognition and sandwich alternatives to enhance sensitivity and/or selectivity of the assay.