Developing structurally- and functionally-tuned three-dimensional electrodes for biosensing

目前，对两类小型化生物传感器存在巨大的市场需求：（1）手持护理点（POC）诊断设备和（2）可穿戴健康监测设备。将新的POC和可穿戴技术商业化的困难在于，创建超灵敏的生物传感器是极具挑战性的，这些传感器不依赖于复杂的设备进行信号或目标放大，并且可以在临床相关浓度下检测复杂生物样品中新兴的生物标志物。在这项提案中，我们将提供一种独特的材料策略，以解决生物传感器检测极限的挑战。该方法将基于增加这些设备的信号与背景比。信号增强将通过使用三维分层组织的电极来实现，这些电极通过其精确设计的结构共同增加电化学电流密度和分析物捕获的概率。背景信号的减少将通过创建混合全憎性电极来实现，该混合全憎性电极具有独特的光滑涂层，其捕获所需的目标分析物并显著减少背景材料的非特异性结合;以及使用光激发并在低电偏压下操作的双峰光敏电极，其减少背景电化学过程。拟议的项目将首次将这些独特的材料方法联合收割机结合起来，预计将：（1）在检测极限方面产生创纪录的价值，从而能够开发几种新的生物传感器，包括可穿戴传感器;（2）在生物传感背景下产生材料结构和功能之间相关性的新知识;（3）创造一个丰富的多学科培训环境，其技能可转移到几个部门;（4）为我们的行业合作伙伴，加拿大和全球POC诊断的全球领导者，提供竞争优势，为加拿大人带来重大的经济和健康利益，包括新的直接和间接就业机会、在偏远地区提供高质量诊断检测以及更有效地利用医疗保健资金。

Currently, there is tremendous market demand for two classes of miniaturized biosensors: (1) handheld point-of-care (POC) diagnostic s and (2) wearable health monitoring devices. The difficulty in commercializing new POC and wearable technologies is that it is extremely challenging to create ultrasensitive biosensors that do not rely on complex devices for signal or target amplification, and can detect emerging biomarkers in complex biological samples at clinically relevant concentrations.**In this proposal, we will provide a unique materials strategy for solving the limit-of-detection challenges of biosensors. The approach will be based on increasing the signal-to-background ratio of these devices. Signal enhancement will be achieved by using three-dimensional hierarchically organized electrodes that collectively increase the electrochemical current density and the probability of analyte capture through their precisely designed structure. The reduction of the background signals will be achieved by creating hybrid omniphobic electrodes featuring a unique slippery coating that captures the desired target analytes and significantly reduces the non-specific binding of background materials; andbimodal photoactive electrodes that are excited using light and are operated under low electrical bias reducing the background electrochemical processes.**The proposed project will combine these unique materials approaches for the first time and is expected to: (1) result in record values in terms of limit-of-detection enabling the development of several new classes of biosensors including wearable sensors; (2) generate new knowledge in the correlation between materials structure and function in the biosensing context; (3) result in a rich multidisciplinary training environment with skills that are transferrable to several sectors; (4) provide our industry partner, a global leader in POC diagnostics in Canada and globally, a competitive advantage resulting in significant economic and health benefits to Canadians, including new direct and indirect jobs, availability of high quality diagnostic testing in remote areas, and more efficient use of healthcare funds.