Biological detection with functionalized Magnetic Sensor

Project Information

BIDMAG

Grant agreement ID: 701852

DOI

10.3030/701852

Project closed

EC signature date 8 March 2016

Start date 1 May 2016

End date 17 February 2019

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 158 121,60

EU contribution

€ 158 121,60

Coordinated by

FUNDACION BCMATERIALS - BASQUE CENTRE FOR MATERIALS, APPLICATIONS AND NANOSTRUCTURES
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIDMAG (Biological detection with functionalized Magnetic Sensor)

Reporting period: 2016-05-01 to 2018-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The rapid, accurate and non-expensive measured detection of low concentrations of biological pathogen agents is crucial in the combat of serious public health concern.
As example, the bacterium Escherichia coli (E.coli) can causes gastrointestinal, urinary, and central nervous systems diseases in the human host that, in some cases, can lead to death. According to the Drinking Water Directive of European Community, E.coli is one of the 15 parameters to be analysed on water intended for human consumption. The current methods are based on membrane filtration and subsequent culture and calculation of target organisms, what shows that the different approaches currently used in the detection of pathogenic agents are still based in culture methods that are time-consuming and labor-intensive and/or involve the use of expensive instrumentation and technical experts. In addition, they are limited to the detection of cultivable bacteria that leads, often, to false-negative results related to problems on the detection of bacteria in a viable but non-cultivable (VBNC) state. VBNC bacteria consist in living cells that, when exposed to a stressful condition such as disinfectant agents, lost their ability to grow in standard solid culture media and therefore, cannot be detected by the traditional culture methods. However, VBNC bacteria are still metabolically active and they are able to resuscitate in favourable conditions. This fact results in a potential risk in several health facilities and in food industry .
The development of simple and available tools and technologies that demonstrate fast response times, user-friendliness, cost-efficiency, and suitability for mass production, able to easily and quickly detect all the viable biological agents at a very early stage, are in the demand to prevent millions of deaths.
The objective of this project is to develop smart hybrid surfaces of polymer functionalised for a specific bacteria binding, onto magnetic substrates, able to present magnetic response to a given biological agent. E.coli is a model bacterium, but other pathogen species can be equally detected if the appropriate bacteriophages are used instead.
The innovation of the project is based on:
• the increase in sensitivity of the magnetoelastic technology that will allow its use for label and label-free clinical applications. The combination of magneto-spectroscopy with the sensitive capacity of the hybrid polymer/bacteriophages surface allows the realization of rapid, easy, cheap, sustainable and highly sensitive quantification tests.
• the parallel chemical and magnetic study of the coating and further biological interaction process, which will allow to follow the interaction by a contactless method compatible with microfluidic techniques and in a very short time scale, as compared with available complex analytical procedures.
• the benefits to the health system will benefit with the use of BIDMAG as new point of care method of diagnosis

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

I was scientifically trained in magnetoelastic resonance measurements (WP1).

Samples of magnetoelastic resonators were prepared and optimized in order to present a higher resistance to corrosion (WP 2).

The composition Fe54Ni24Si10B10 was prepared by melt spinning in BCMaterials center. Posteriorly, samples with the same composition were prepared in a secondment in the company Vacuumschmelze gmbh & co. kg, with different thickness.Different compositions were also prepared and testes in Vacuumschmelze. (WP2)

An extensive study on the experimental determination of the Q factor in such magnetoelastic resonant platforms, using three different strategies was performed, since this is a determinant parameter in the increase of magnetoelastic ribbons mass sensitivity (WP2).

For the first time, different geometries (non rectangular) of magnetoelastic ribbon were used in the dectection of mass variation. The results showed that this is a crucial factor in the improvement of the performance of the sensors.(WP2)

I was scientifically trained in biological methods. (WP1)
The propagation of bacteriophage M13 was realized such as the obtention of E-coli population. Those were immobilized on magnetoelastic resonator by physical adsorption after their functionalization with specific functional groups. (WP 3 and WP4)

Finally, of different concentrations of E-coli population were detected with magnetoelastic ribbons using the new geometries. (WP 5)

I also collaborate in training students by suppervision of final projects of master students within the master in "New Materias" of the University of Basque Country as well as in the supervision of a PhD student under the Doctoral program of Science and Technology of Materials, also from the University of Basque Country. (WP1)

The dissemination and exploration of the results was done by preparation of papers and participation in conferences: (WP 6)

Papers:

- A. Sagasti, A.C. Lopes, A. Lasheras, V. Palomares, J. Carrizo, J. Gutierrez, J.M. Barandiaran, “Corrosion resistant metallic glasses for biosensing applications”, AIP Adv., 2018, 8, 047702.

- A.C.Lopes , A. Sagasti , A. Lasheras, V. Muto, J. Gutiérrez, D. Kouzoudis and J. M. Barandiarán, “Accurate Determination of the Q quality Factor in Magnetoelastic Resonant Platforms for Advanced Biological Detection”, Sensors, 2018, 8, 047702.

- P. G. Saiz, D. Gandia, A. Lasheras, A. Sagasti, I. Quintan, M. L. Fdez-Gubieda, J. Gutiérrez, M. I. Arriortua, A. C. Lopes, "Enhanced mass sensitivity in novel magnetoelastic resonator geometries for advanced detection systems." (submited to ACS Sensors).

2 other papers under preparation


Conferences:

-A.C. Lopes, P.G. Saiz, A. Lasheras, A. Muela, J. Gutierrez, "Non-rectangular shaped Magnetoelastic Ribbons for the accurate detection of Pathogen Agents", MMM-Intermag, Washington, 2019, Oral Presentation.

- A.C.Lopes P.GSaiz A. Lasheras, A. Sagasti, J. Gutiérrez, “Variation of magnetoelastic resonant sensors shape in the basis of the increase of sensitivity”, E-MRS Fall Meeting, Warsaw, 2018, Oral Presentation.

- A.C. Lopes, A. Sagasti, J. Gutiérrez, V. Muto, A. Lasheras and J.M. Barandiarán, “Determining the Q-Factor in Magnetoelastic Resonant Sensors”, 23rd Soft Magnetic Materials Conference, 2017, Sevilla, Spain, Oral presentation.

- A. Sagasti, A. C. Lopes, A. Lasheras, V. Palomares, J. Carrizo, J. Gutierrez, and J. Manuel Barandiaran, “Corrosion resistant metallic glasses for biosensing applications”, 23rd Soft Magnetic Materials Conference, 2017, Sevilla, Spain, Oral presentation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The use of magnetoelastic ribbons in the detection of pathogenic or chemical agents has been often limited by the corrosion problems on the samples caused by the functionalization steps.
During this project we were able to find a new composition of magnetic elastic ribbons with a higher corrosion resistance, comparing with the traditional and commercial ones. That will widen the range of possible functionalizations

On the other hand, for the first time, magnetoelastic mass sensors with a non-rectangular shape were tested. Sensors with the shape of a triangle, an arch triangle or a rhombus were tested. The obtained results clearly show the key role of magnetoelastic resonator platforms geometries in the increase of mass load sensitivity and their importance in the draw of future labor-free and wireless sensors for low mass detection systems.

Bacterial detection by functionalized MER