Abstract
The development of a novel label-free graphene sensor array is presented. Detection is based on modification of graphene FET devices and specifically monitoring the change in composition of the nutritive components in culturing medium. Micro-dispensing ofEscherichia coliin medium shows feasibility of accurate positioning over each sensor while still allowing cell proliferation. Graphene FET device fabrication, sample dosing, and initial electrical characterisation have been completed and show a promising approach to reducing the sample size and lead time for diagnostic and drug development protocols through a label-free and reusable sensor array fabricated with standard and scalable microfabrication technologies.
Highlights
Controlled monitoring of bacterial growth has long been essential both as a diagnostic tool and as a standard drug development testing procedure
We propose the use of a scalable graphene field effect transistor (FET) microfabrication technology to (i) grow graphene films by chemical vapour deposition, (ii) transfer them to functional substrates and (iii) microstructure and contact graphene devices
The fundamental premise of lysogeny broth (LB) components affecting the conductance of graphene was confirmed using high-quality graphene flakes grown on Ni by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and contacted with e-beam lithography
Summary
Controlled monitoring of bacterial growth has long been essential both as a diagnostic tool and as a standard drug development testing procedure. In a similar way that Moore’s law drives the trend in decreasing transistor size for optimised device speed, there is a consistent decrease in sensor dimensions used for detecting proliferating bacteria It has been noted in the literature that with a decrease in sample volumes there is an expected decrease in testing time. For the devices proposed in this work, as shown, the sensor area is in complete contact with the sample and, through rapid diffusion and convection in such small sample volumes, is expected to be highly sensitive to changes Large arrays of these sensors enable multiple parallel testing and improvement of the statistical confidence while still decreasing the batch time and conserving the low sample volume requirements. The direct contact is believed to lead to charge transfer and a change in the electrical response of the graphene sheet
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