European researchers combine physics and biology to develop new biosensors
The result will be an ultra-sensitive biosensor based on DNA origami.

A multidisciplinary team from four European countries has developed a highly sensitive biosensor platform that combines advances in physics and biology. This research has been carried out in the framework of DeDNAed, an EU-funded project launched in 2021 under EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET). The consortium is comprised of 7 European partners located in Germany, Spain, France and Austria. Using a total budget of around 3 million Euros, the consortium was on a mission to develop a novel and innovative biosensing platform.
The DeDNAed biosensor platform, with the participation of TECNALIA, will be used to detect biomolecules and will enable the detection of food toxins or disease biomarkers. The advantages of such a sensor platform are increased sensitivity, versatility and ultra-fast optical focusing, which enables rapid detection. Structurally, the DeDNAed sensor consists of several components and is based on nanometric component functions.
The DNA origami allows the sensing elements to be assembled and integrated with nanometric precision. This DNA origami is, like classic paper origami, foldable, but instead of paper it is made of a single strand of DNA and can take different 2D and 3D shapes. The so-called ‘sticky ends’ provide anchor points for possible functionalisations.
DeDNAed uses this to precisely place a biorecognition element (antibodies with atomic nanoclusters developed by TECNALIA) in a hot spot between plasmonic nanoparticles that place the analyte in an ideal spot for detection. This provides a highly sensitive sensor, detecting low concentrations of the analyte by Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (Raman-SERS).
Importantly, the DeDNAed sensor method is not bound to a specific target as an analyte, but allows for detection of a variety of targets if suitable biorecognition elements are used. This enables DeDNAed to provide a high degree of flexibility in the area of application, ranging from applications in the medical sector, such as in vitro diagnostics (example within DeDNAed: interleukin-6) to monitor quality/contamination of edible goods (example within DeDNAed: aflatoxin). In addition, the potential to transfer the DNA origami-based sensor platform to flexible substrates will enable its integration into wipe tests or medical wearables.