Simple and label-free electrochemical impedance Amelogenin gene hybridization biosensing based on reduced graphene oxide

The increasing desire for sensitive, easy, low-cost, and label free methods for the detection of DNA sequences has become a vital matter in biomedical research. For the first time a novel label-free biosensor for sensitive detection of Amelogenin gene (AMEL) using reduced graphene oxide modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE/RGO) has been developed. In this work, detection of DNA hybridization of the target and probe DNA was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The optimum conditions were found for the immobilization of probe on RGO surface and its hybridization with the target DNA. CV and EIS carried out in an aqueous solution containing [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) redox pair have been used for the biosensor characterization. The biosensor has a wide linear range from 1.0 x 10(-20) to 1.0 x 10(-14) M with the lower detection limit of 3.2 x 10(-21) M. Moreover, the present electrochemical detection offers some unique advantages such as ultrahigh sensitivity, simplicity, and feasibility for apparatus miniaturization in analytical tests. The excellent performance of the biosensor is attributed to large surface-to-volume ratio and high conductivity of RGO, which enhances the probe absorption and promotes direct electron transfer between probe and the electrode surface. This electrochemical DNA sensor could be used for the detection of specific ssDNA sequence in real biological samples. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.