Surface active flexible metal nano-thin film electrode development for biosensing applications

Rapid and specific analysis of the interaction between or among proteins, DNA, cells, viruses, and small molecules is urgently needed in the post-pandemic era. Our research team has developed a unique biosensing platform using a plasma sputtering technique to deposit gold or palladium onto a polyethylene terephthalate substrate, forming a 20 nm nano-thin-film (NTF). Specific functional biomolecules, prepared via recombinant synthesis-refolding systems or solid-state synthesis, form a stable self-assembly monolayer (SAM) on the surface of a flexible metal nano-thin film (M-NTF) electrode within 20-30 mins without a crosslinker. By integrating these functional M-NTF electrodes with electrochemical spectroscopy techniques, viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, enterovirus, and their variants can be detected rapidly, along with drugs or leads affecting virus infections. Furthermore, this platform can also identify virus types using specific DNA probes and detect microbial foodborne pathogens, offering versatile applications in biosensing.