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An electrochemical microfluidic biochip for the detection of gliadin using MoS2/graphene/gold nanocomposite

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Abstract

Testing gluten content in food, before it reaches the consumer, becomes a major challenge where cross-contamination during processing and transportation is a very common occurrence. In this study, a microfluidic electrochemical aptasensing system for the detection of gliadin has been proposed. The fabrication of the sensor involves its modification by using a combination of 2D nanomaterial molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/graphene with the addition of gold (Au) nanoparticles. Aptamers, a short string of nucleotide bases that are very specific to gliadin, were used in this sensor as the biomarker. The electrochemical standard reduction potential of the ferro-ferricyanide indicator was found to be ~ 530 mV. This setup was integrated with a unique polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based flexible microfluidic device for sample enrichment and portability. The results of this sensor show that the limit of detection was 7 pM. The total sample assay time was 20 min and a good linear range was observed from 4 to 250 nM with an R2 value of 0.982. Different flour samples sourced from the local market were tested and interfering molecules were added to ensure selectivity. The study shows promise in its applicability in real-time gliadin detection.

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Funding

The authors sincerely thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for funding this study (Grant # RGPIN-2017-03975). The authors would also like to acknowledge the OMAFRA-U of G Partnership (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) for funding this study through their Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Scholarship Program.

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  1. School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Saipriya Ramalingam, Abdallah Elsayed & Ashutosh Singh

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  1. Saipriya Ramalingam
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  2. Abdallah Elsayed
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  3. Ashutosh Singh
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Correspondence to Ashutosh Singh.

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Ramalingam, S., Elsayed, A. & Singh, A. An electrochemical microfluidic biochip for the detection of gliadin using MoS2/graphene/gold nanocomposite. Microchim Acta 187, 645 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04589-w

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