Translating Molecular Recognition into a Pressure Signal to enable Rapid, Sensitive, and Portable Biomedical Analysis

Abstract

Herein, we demonstrate that a very familiar, yet underutilized, physical parameter—gas pressure—can serve as signal readout for highly sensitive bioanalysis. Integration of a catalyzed gas-generation reaction with a molecular recognition component leads to significant pressure changes, which can be measured with high sensitivity using a low-cost and portable pressure meter. This new signaling strategy opens up a new way for simple, portable, yet highly sensitive biomedical analysis in a variety of settings.

Keywords: gas generation; hydrogen peroxide; immunoassay; point-of-care testing; pressure measurement.