In this project, funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging program of the Division of Chemistry and the EPSCoR office, Professor Lai from University of Nebraska at Lincoln proposes to develop a potentially generalizable peptide-based electrochemical biosensing platform for detection of clinically relevant proteins. Professor Lai's work will address the question of how ligand-induced folding in peptides can be utilized in the design of folding-based electrochemical biosensors. A proof-of-concept study will focus on the detection of anti-HIV antibodies using peptide epitopes from HIV-related antigens. The sensor constructs to be investigated include both stem-loop and linear designs. In both sensor constructs, the distal end of the peptide is attached to an electrochemically active reporter, whereas the proximal end is selectively immobilized to an electrode surface. The analyte-induced change in the location of electrochemically active reporter will then determine the current observed in the system.
The proposed study has the potential to impact the field of biosensor development and facilitate the use of peptides as recognition components in a wide range of chemical and biological applications. Integrating concepts of electrochemistry and molecular biology, the project will provide training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. To support this training, an undergraduate course in general electrochemistry and a graduate course in advanced biosensing techniques will be developed. Professor Lai will also host an annual summer workshop on biosensor technology for Nebraska high school teachers, with the goal of preparing them with the knowledge of easy-to-demonstrate experiments for high school classes to spur students' interests in chemistry and biosensor technology.
