A novel method for dengue virus detection and antibody screening using a graphene-polymer based electrochemical biosensor

Dengue fever is a major disease that kills many people in the developing world every year. During early infection, a patient displays a high temperature without other signs. After this stage, and without proper treatment, serious damage to internal organs can happen, which occasionally leads to death. A rapid technique for the early detection of dengue virus (DENV) could reduce the number of fatalities. This study presents a new technique for the detection, classification and antibody screening of DENV based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We found that the charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of a gold electrode coated with graphene oxide reinforced polymer was influenced by virus type and quantity exposed on the surface. Molecular recognition capability established during the GO-polymer composite preparation was used to explain this observation. The linear dependence of R_ct versus virus concentrations ranged from 1 to 2×10³pfu/mL DENV with a 0.12 pfu/mL detection limit.