Graphene and Nano-Scale Fiber Bio-Sensing Platform for Early Cancer Detection

On this poster, we present results from our ongoing research toward creating a proto-type of a bio-sensor that can detect cancer antigens in human saliva. A simple comb printed circuit board was designed and manufactured(Fig 1). The bare comb circuit is normally open and requires a conductive substance to fill in between the teeth of the comb to complete the circuit. We used graphene as the conductive material. The graphene acted as a soft electrical conductor completing the current path across the comb printed circuit board and created an electrical circuit with a unique current, voltage and resistance. We applied various concentrations of graphene to the comb circuit surface and explored graphene’s properties as a soft conductor. Next, a solution containing Poly-Vinyl Alcohol and Sericin Bombyx mori silk solution was electro-spun onto the circuit board creating a sticky cob-web-like covering over the comb circuit. This fabric acted as a resistor on the comb circuit and creates a sticky surface to which target cancer antibodies can be attached. Once the target cancer antibodies are attached to the circuit surface, a bio-sensing platform will be created to detect cancer antigens in fluid. When exposed to a fluid sample such as saliva that contains the complimentary cancer antigen to the antibody, the antibodies and antigens will spontaneously bind. This bound antibody/antigen structure will change the impedance of the electrical circuit. This change in impedance can then be detected, quantified and correlated to antigen concentrations in the saliva sample. Further research can then be done to correlate the impedance readings to dangerous cancer antigen concentrations in the human body