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A new electrochemical DNA biosensor based on mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-capped ZnS quantum dots (MPA-ZnS QDs) immobilization matrix for covalent binding with 20-base aminated oligonucleotide has been successfully developed. Prior to the modification, screen-printed carbon paste electrode (SPE) was self-assembled with multilayer gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and cysteamine (Cys). The inclusion of MPA-ZnS QDs semiconducting material in modified electrodes has enhanced the electron transfer between the SPE transducer and DNA leading to improved bioanalytical assay of target biomolecules. Electrochemical studies performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulsed voltammetry (DPV) demonstrated that the MPA-ZnS QDs modified AuNPs electrode was able to produce a lower charge transfer resistance response and hence higher electrical current response. Under optimal conditions, the immobilized synthetic DNA probe exhibited high selectivity towards synthetic target DNA. Based on the DPV response of the reduction of anthraquinone monosulphonic acid (AQMS) redox probe, the MPA-ZnS QDs-based electrochemical DNA biosensor responded to target DNA concentration from 1 × 10−9 μM to 1 × 10−3 μM with a sensitivity 1.2884 ± 0.12 µA, linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9848 and limit of detection (LOD) of 1 × 10−11 μM target DNA. The DNA biosensor exhibited satisfactory reproducibility with an average relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.4%. The proposed electrochemical transducer substrate has been employed to immobilize the aminated Arowana fish (Scleropages formosus) DNA probe. The DNA biosensor showed linearity to target DNA from 1 × 10−11 to 1 × 10−6 µM (R2 = 0.9785) with sensitivity 1.1251 ± 0.243 µA and LOD of 1 × 10−11 µM. The biosensor has been successfully used to determine the gender of Arowana fish without incorporating toxic raw materials previously employed in the hazardous processing conditions of polypyrrole chemical conducting polymer, whereby the cleaning step becomes difficult with thicker films due to high levels of toxic residues from the decrease in polymerization efficacy as films grew.

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were modified to design a new DNA biosensor. Functionalized MWCNTs were equipped with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) (~15nm) (GNP-MWCNTCOOH) to construct DNA biosensors based on carbon-paste screen-printed (SPE) electrodes. GNP attachment onto functionalized MWCNTs was carried out by microwave irradiation and was confirmed by spectroscopic studies and surface analysis. DNA biosensors based on differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were constructed by immobilizing thiolated single-stranded DNA probes onto GNP-MWCNTCOOH. Ruthenium (III) chloride hexaammoniate [Ru(NH3)6,2Cl-] (RuHex) was used as hybridization redox indicator. RuHex and MWCNT interaction was low in compared to other organic redox hybridization indicators. The linear response range for DNA determination was 1×10-21 to 1×10-9M with a lower detection limit of 1.55×10-21M. Thus, the attachment of GNPs onto functionalized MWCNTs yielded sensitive DNA biosensor with low detection limit and stability more than 30days. Constructed electrode was used to determine gender of arowana fish.

The preparation and characterization of a DNA biosensor based on kappa-carrageenan-polypyrrole-gold nanoparticles (KC-PPy-AuNPs) nano-biocomposite is reported to demonstrate an application for gender classification of Arowana fish. Immobilization of the thiol modified Arowana fish ssDNA probe sequence was successfully carried out via covalent attachment to the gold (Au) on the surface of the nano-biocomposite membrane. Under optimum conditions, the DNA biosensor showed a short immobilization and hybridization time with high sensitivity for monitoring the target DNA sequence. The hybridization with the target DNA was determined by monitoring the redox current of anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid monohydrate sodium salt (AQMS) using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The DNA hybridization response gradually increased with increasing concentrations of target DNA from 5 × 10 −18 to 5 × 10 −12 M and the limit of detection was below 5 × 10 −18 M. The application of the DNA biosensor for gender classification of Arowana fish was demonstrated.

The present research describes a simple method for the identification of the gender of arowana fish (Scleropages formosus). The DNA biosensor was able to detect specific DNA sequence at extremely low level down to atto M regimes. An electrochemical DNA biosensor based on acrylic microsphere-gold nanoparticle (AcMP-AuNP) hybrid composite was fabricated. Hydrophobic poly(n-butylacrylate-N-acryloxysuccinimide) microspheres were synthesised with a facile and well-established one-step photopolymerization procedure and physically adsorbed on the AuNPs at the surface of a carbon screen printed electrode (SPE). The DNA biosensor was constructed simply by grafting an aminated DNA probe on the succinimide functionalised AcMPs via a strong covalent attachment. DNA hybridisation response was determined by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique using anthraquinone monosulphonic acid redox probe as an electroactive oligonucleotide label (Table 1). A low detection limit at 1.0 × 10−18 M with a wide linear calibration range of 1.0 × 10−18 to 1.0 × 10−8 M (R 2 = 0.99) can be achieved by the proposed DNA biosensor under optimal conditions. Electrochemical detection of arowana DNA can be completed within 1 hour. Due to its small size and light weight, the developed DNA biosensor holds high promise for the development of functional kit for fish culture usage.

An electrochemical method of Arowana DNA determination based of N-acrylosuccinimide (NAS) modified acrylic microsphere was fabricated. Hydrophobic succinimide functional group containing poly(n-butylacrylate-N-acryloxysuccinimide) microspheres were synthesized with a simple one-step photopolymerization pocedure. Aminated DNA probe was covalently bonded to the succinimde functional group of the acrylic microspheres. The hybridization of the immobilized DNA probe with the complementary DNA was determined by the differential pulse voltametry using anthraquninone-2-sulfonic acid monohydrate sodium salt (AQMS) as the electroactive hybridization label. The influences of many factors such as duration of DNA probe immobilization and hybridization, operational temperature and non-complementary DNA on the biosensor performance were evaluated. Under optimized conditions, the DNA microbiosensor demonstrated a wide linear response range to target DNA is 1.0 × 10−16 and 1.0 × 10−8 M with a lower limit of detection (LOD) of 9.46 × 10−17 M (R2 = 0.99) were calculated. This biosensor had improved the overall analytical performance of the resultant DNA microbiosensor when compared with other reported DNA biosensors using other nano-materials for membranes and microspheres as DNA immobilization matrices.