Electrochemical method for detecting water-borne pathogens.

by Fritsch, Ingrid; Beitle Jr, Robert; Aguilar, Zoraida

A novel, surface immobilization electrochem. assay allows for rapid, accurate and highly sensitive detection of microorganisms and biol. mols. Known surface immobilization methods are utilized to bind an analyte to a surface. A binding material with a covalently attached electroactive complex generates elec. current in the presence of analyte. An electrode is used to detect the current, that is directly related to the concentration of analyte. The invention is especially suitable for detection of Cryptosporidium parvum. A sandwich-type immunoassay was performed in which a monoclonal IgM antibody to C. parvum was covalently attached via carboduimide coupling to 11-mercapto-1-undecanol and 11-mercapto-1-undecanoic acid self-assembled monolayers on gold macrochips, followed by capture of C. parvum oocysts from the sample solution, and attachment of a secondary antibody, labeled with alk. phosphatase (AP). Bare gold macroelectrode and a microelectrode were used to detect p-aminophenol enzymically generated by the AP immobilized on the modified chip from a solution of 4 mM p-aminophenyl phosphate in 0.1 M Tris buffer (pH = 9). The detection limit for the microelectrode detection was 7 oocysts/L.

Patent Number
USUS2003108922 A1 2003-06-12
Application Number
B2
Publication Year
2008
URL
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/pat/96