title: Conducting polymer nanowire-based chemiresistive biosensor for the detection of bacterial spores.
abstract: Polypyrrole nanowires (Ppy) were assembled onto microfabricated gold interdigitated microelectrodes, to construct a chemiresistive biosensor for the detection of Bacillus globigii, used as simulant of the threatening bioterrorism agent B. anthracis. The fabricated biosensor showed good linear correlation (r(2)=0.992) for low spore concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 CFU (colony forming units)/mL, a concentration that could be used in a bioterrorism attack, with a response time of 30 min, after which the sensor was saturated. The performance of the biosensor was also assessed in the absence of anti-B. globigii antibodies and in the presence of non-target bacterial cells (Escherichia coli) showing no significant non-specific interactions. We believe that Ppy nanowires are a good platform for the detection and also quantification of large molecules and biocomponents even at low concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Microelectrónica de Barcelona (CNM-IMB), CSIC, Esfera UAB, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Aljaro
authors.forename: Mangesh A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bangar
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baldrich
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mulchandani
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003217:Conductometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers