Bioinspired nanozyme enabling glucometer readout for portable monitoring of pesticide under resource-scarce environments

Abstract

Pesticide residual has always been a severe environmental issue due to its adverse effects on ecosystems. The development of user-friendly program is imperative for efficient monitoring and control of pesticides with respect to environmental protection. To this end, we herein report a bioinspired nanozyme enabling portable glucometer readout for assessing pesticide residual, based on an aptamer-switching approach. Notably, Co-based metal–organic framework (Co-MOF) decorated by aptamer is built, as a signal probe, for identifying acetamiprid (as a model analyte). Comparing with the enzyme-based methods, which works in pH 6 ∼ 7, our system has high stability and DNA hybridization efficiency beyond pH 8. By introducing completive binding between acetamiprid and MOF-aptamer into glucose consumption, this method exhibits a wide linear range (1 ∼ 200 nM) with a low limit of detection (0.42 nM, corresponding to 0.093 μg kg−1 by weight), well qualified for the regular monitoring of acetamiprid residue specified by World Health Organization. With virtues of portability, sensitivity and anti-interference, the glucometer-based protocol enables us to innovatively carry out pesticide monitoring in agricultural soil, water source and foodstuffs, thereby holding promise for environmental monitoring in home-style and in-field scenarios.