A bio-inspired 3D micro-structure for graphene-based bacteria sensing

Abstract

Nature is a great source of inspiration for the development of solutions for biomedical problems. We present a novel biosensor design utilizing two-photon polymerisation and graphene to fabricate an enhanced biosensing platform for the detection of motile bacteria. A cage comprising venous valve-inspired directional micro-structure is fabricated around graphene-based sensing electronics. The asymmetric 3D micro-structure promotes motile cells to swim from outside the cage towards the inner-most chamber, resulting in concentrated bacteria surrounding the central sensing region, thus enhancing the sensing signal. The concentrating effect is proved across a range of cell cultures - from 10¹ CFU/ml to 10⁹ CFU/ml. Fluorescence analysis shows a 3.38-3.5 times enhanced signal. pH sensor presents a 2.14-3.08 times enhancement via the detection of cellar metabolite. Electrical measurements demonstrate an 8.8-26.7 times enhanced current. The proposed platform provides a new way of leveraging bio-inspired 3D printing and 2D materials for the development of sensing devices for biomedical applications.

Keywords: 3D printing; Bio-inspired device; Graphene; Label-free bacteria sensing; Microfabrication.