Abstract

Flow Chemistry for Rapid Identification and Quantitation of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

Paul Bohn, Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame

Detecting and identifying infectious agents and potential pathogens in complex environments and characterizing their mode of action is a critical need. The first line of defense centers on detection of pathogens at the point of care, and a fully competent analysis should address the complete spectrum of pathogen characteristics, including the abilities to (1) locate and adhere to host tissues; (2) harm the host, for example, by exotoxin secretion; and (3) evade the immune system of the host. We are developing flow chemistry-based integrated sensor architectures for early biomarkers of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). While the ultimate tool will likely involve multiplex biomarker detection, at present we are targeting IL-6 and TNF-alpha by implementing electrochemical ELISA in nanopore-confined recessed ring-disk electrode arrays (NEAs) in a flow chemistry format. These structures allow us to (a) isolate biomarkers for selective detection, (b) enhance sensitivity by taking advantage of differential pulse and redox cycling strategies, and (c) confine the detection chemistry to ultrasmall volumes (= 10^-18 L). In this talk we will describe the device design, fabrication, and performance metrics.