title: Label-Free Ultrasensitive Memristive Aptasensor.
abstract: We present the very first worldwide ever-reported electrochemical biosensor based on a memristive effect and DNA aptamers. This novel device is developed to propose a completely new approach in cancer diagnostics. In this study, an affinity-based technique is presented for the detection of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) using DNA aptamers. The hysteretic properties of memristive silicon nanowires functionalized with these DNA aptamers provide a label-free and ultrasensitive biodetection technique. The ultrasensitive detection is hereby demonstrated for PSA with a limit of detection down to 23 aM, best ever published value for electrochemical biosensors in PSA detection. The effect of polyelectrolytes on our memristive devices is also reported to further show how positive or negative charges affect the memristive hysteresis. With such an approach, combining memristive nanowires and aptamers, memristive aptamer-based biosensors can be proposed to detect a wide range of cancer markers with unprecedent ultrasensitivities to also address the issue of an early detection of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Integrated System Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ioulia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tzouvadaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Pawan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.affiliation: Department of Informatics and Microsystem Technology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern , Zweibrücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Informatics and Microsystem Technology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern , Zweibrücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ingebrandt
authors.affiliation: Integrated System Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Micheli
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Estrela
authors.affiliation: Integrated System Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carrara
keywords: DNA aptamers; biosensors; cancer diagnosis; memristive behavior; silicon nanowires