Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Symbiotic (INNOVATIVE AUTONOMOUS ELECTRICAL BIOSENSOR SYNERGISTICALLY ASSEMBLED INSIDE A PASSIVE DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELL FOR SCREENING CANCER BIOMARKERS)
Reporting period: 2016-06-01 to 2018-11-30
The Symbiotic project aims to develop an autonomous electrochemical biosensor that is lightweight, disposable and low cost by using an innovative approach: hosting its bioreceptor element inside a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). This will allow to build an electrically independent, very simple, miniaturized, autonomous electrical biosensor. This work proposes a merge between electrical biosensors and fuel cells, combining the advantages of both areas of research in a single synergetic device.
In this envisaged innovative device, the electrical signal obtained from the DMFC is directly related to the concentration of the cancer biomarker in the sample analyzed. The proposed electrochemical biosensor will be completely autonomous, operating at room temperature and using the oxygen present in the air, thereby allowing diagnosis everywhere.
-Several approaches were analysed for biosensor assembling, namely radical polymerization and electropolymerization of suitable monomers on different anode architectures.
-Exploratory experiments under fuel cell environment were performed, allowing to address preliminarily the influence of biological fluids on DMFC performance when the plastic antibody is inserted at the anode. Other experiments allowed to evaluate the biosensor preliminary response to a model protein in real biological fluids.
-The development of complementary sensor systems to allow quantitative evaluation of the final sensor performance is underway. For that, a test system that allow the independent quantification of binding and identification of bound components to the sensor substrate via multiple analytical readouts is under development.
-Exploration of protein mass spectrometry for evaluating MIP performance is on course.
-The consortium successfully demonstrated in nearly passive conditions within a DMFC environment a biosensor targeting a model protein.
-The consortium established that the easier way to integrate both the fuel cell and the signalling device would be with an electrochromic display. Simultaneously, this device would allow to adjust to the specifications of the power output of the fuel cell and wouldn’t require any specific circuit if the signalling was directly connected to the biosensor.
-The project web site, plus various dissemination materials, were created to support the dissemination work. In addition, several disseminations actions took place, such as participation in the Biosensors 2016 congress.