We present the very first worldwide ever-reported electrochemical biosensor based on Memristive Effect and DNA aptamers. This novel device is developed to propose a completely new approach in cancer diagnostics. In this study, an affinity-based technique is presented for the detection of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) using DNA aptamers. The hysteretic properties of memristive silicon nanowires functionalized with these DNA aptamers provide a label-free and ultrasensitive bio-detection technique. The ultra-sensitive detection is demonstrated here for PSA with a limit of detection down to 23 aM, best ever published value for electrochemical biosensors in PSA detection. The effect of polyelectrolytes on our memristive devices is also reported to further show how positive or negative charges affect the memristive hysteresis. With such an approach, combining memristive nanowires and aptamers, memristive aptamer-based biosensors can be proposed to detect a wide range of cancer markers with un-precedent ultra-sensitivities to also address the issue of an early detection of cancer.
Nano letters. 2016 Jun 24 [Epub ahead of print]
Ioulia Tzouvadaki, Pawan Jolly, Xiaoling Lu, Sven Ingebrandt, Giovanni De Micheli, Pedro Estrela, Sandro Carrara