Toxins, Vol. 11, Pages 550: Graphene-Based Sensing Platform for On-Chip Ochratoxin A Detection (Toxins)

In this work, we report an on-chip aptasensor for ochratoxin A (OTA) toxin detection that is based on a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET). Graphene-based devices are fabricated via large-scale technology, allowing for upscaling the sensor fabrication and lowering the device cost. The sensor assembly was performed through covalent bonding of graphene’s surface with an aptamer specifically sensitive towards OTA. The results demonstrate fast (within 5 min) response to OTA exposure with a linear range of detection between 4 ng/mL and 10 pg/mL, with a detection limit of 4 pg/mL. The regeneration time constant of the sensor was found to be rather small, only 5.6 s, meaning fast sensor regeneration for multiple usages. The high reproducibility of the sensing response was demonstrated via using several recycling procedures as well as various GFETs. The applicability of the aptasensor to real samples was demonstrated for spiked red wine samples with recovery of about 105% for a 100 pM OTA concentration; the selectivity of the sensor was also confirmed via addition of another toxin, zearalenone. The developed platform opens the way for multiplex sensing of different toxins using an on-chip array of graphene sensors.