Nombre del Proyecto: Graphene based lab-on-chip sensors for the detection and characterization of bacterial pathogens
Código Banner: IIAG35
Código NX: 26561
Código SIA: 0021-19
Categoría: Académico
Tipo: Investigación
Vigencia: 2019-2021
Responsable: Caterina Guzmán
Contacto: 2562-4549
Correo electrónico:
Resumen:
The diagnosis of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms demands high cost infrastructure, that might not be readily available in developing countries such as Costa Rica, time, and trained personnel. All these requirements could be reduced by the use of LOC (Lab-on-chip) microfluidic technologies. Since 2015 a multidisciplinary research group in Costa Rica is developing a low-cost fabrication method of microfluidic devices with micron-sized constrictions to be used in electrode-less dielectrophoresis (DEP). Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) patterned chips were successfully loaded with inactivated cells from Brucella abortus vaccine S-19 and connected to an AC voltage source to examine the pathogen?s response to frequency variations around the constrictions. The pathogen´s responses to the frequency variations around the constrictions were not as good as expected due to lower electric field and it was not possible to preconcentrate the cells under the study conditions. These difficulties could be overcome through selective anchoring of the analytes. Graphene, a bidimensional material recognized for its extraordinary electrical and optical properties, provides high sensitivity and response speed against a range of stimuli or analytes.1?4 Furthermore, its transparency and flexibility would allow us to build the mentioned device on a versatile and more sensitive to stimulus substrate. Dr. Roberto Urcuyo, who recently concluded his Ph.D studies on graphene surface modification in the group of Marko Burghard at the Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI-FKF), recently published a novel way to anchor a wide range of molecules to graphene.7 This knowledge will be applied in this proposal to select and functionalize graphene with the most appropriate linker molecule for the Brucella abortus S-19, responsible for causing brucellosis (chronic disease results in abortion and infertility in livestock causing economic losses mainly in middle and low income countries) in a variety of mammals and also for spores from Clostridium difficile, which is one of the main agents of nosocomial diarrhea in Costa Rica and the world. No method that complies with being affordable, selective, highly sensitive, and versatile to rapidly detect C. difficile on surfaces exist at the moment.