Impedimetric antimicrobial peptide biosensor for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus envelope protein gp120

Abstract

This study presents the design and implementation of an antimicrobial peptide-based electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) based biosensor system. The biosensor consists of a gold coated carbon electrode with MXene and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the label-free detection of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope protein gp120. Scanning electron microscopy was used to confirm the presence and distribution of MXene and AgNPs on the biosensor surface. The employment of the antimicrobial peptide on the electrode surface minimized the denaturation of the biorecognition receptor to ensure reliable and stable performance. The biosensor exhibited a linear range of 10-4000 pg mL-1 for gp120 detection, demonstrating good repeatability in real samples. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were also calculated as 0.05 pg mL-1 and 0.14 pg mL-1, respectively. This biosensing platform has promising applications in the detection of HIV in clinical and point-of-care settings.