Molecular ‘email’: Electrochemical aptasensing of fish pathogens, molecular information encoding, encryption and hiding applications

Abstract

DNA with data encoding and molecular recognition is rarely used in combination with electrochemistry for multipurpose integrated applications (especially in sensing, information communication and security). Herein, we demonstrated an electrochemical aptasensing, information communication and safety system for detection of fish pathogens (Aeromonas hydrophila or Edwardsiella tarda) and molecular information encryption and hiding. Two fish pathogens can be easily and quickly detected by electrochemistry, respectively, with high selectivity and sensitivity (detection limit lower than 1 cfu/mL) without the need for traditional time-consuming biochemical culturing process. The specific interaction of the probe (DNA aptamer) with targets (pathogens) on the tiny and imperceptible electrochemical platform provides protection for hiding DNA aptamers containing the encoded message, but also offers a foundation for developing of molecular cryptography and steganography. This electrochemical system, which is similar to mail communication, does not record information on paper, but a molecular mail that records information through DNA and reads information using electrochemical sensing, or more precisely, molecular electrochemical mail (namely molecular ‘email’). Our study proved that the combination of the recognition and encoding capabilities of DNA aptamers with electrochemistry can open a new door for molecular-level digitization technology. In the future, large-capacity, easy-to-operate, resettable, and flexible molecular crypto-steganography will be developed for molecular cascade communication and control.