Reagentless measurement of aminoglycoside antibiotics in blood serum via an electrochemical, ribonucleic acid aptamer-based biosensor.

ABSTRACT: Biosensors built using ribonucleic acid (RNA) aptamers show promise as tools for point-of-care medical diagnostics, but they remain vulnerable to nuclease degradation when deployed in clinical samples. To explore methods for protecting RNA-based biosensors from such degradation we have constructed and characterized an electrochemical, aptamer-based sensor for the detection of aminoglycosidic antibiotics. We find that while this sensor achieves low micromolar detection limits and subminute equilibration times when challenged in buffer, it deteriorates rapidly when immersed directly in blood serum. In order to circumvent this problem, we have developed and tested sensors employing modified versions of the same aptamer. Our first effort to this end entailed the methylation of all of the 2'-hy

SUBMITTER: Rowe AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3082472 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature