Multifrequency Investigation of Single- and Double-Stranded DNA with Scalable Metamaterial-Based THz Biosensors

• Published in: Biosensors (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 7; p. 483
• Main Authors: Weisenstein, Christian, Richter, Merle, Wigger, Anna Katharina, Bosserhoff, Anja K., Haring Bolívar, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Biomarkers; biomolecular; biosensor; Biosensors; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Design; DNA; Etching; Experiments; Frequency ranges; Frequency shift; Gold; metamaterial; Metamaterials; Radiation; Resonance; Sensitivity; Sensors; Simulation; terahertz; Terahertz frequencies; THz; Vibration mode
• ISSN: 2079-6374; 2079-6374
• DOI: 10.3390/bios12070483

Due to the occurrence of THz-excited vibrational modes in biomacromolecules, the THz frequency range has been identified as particularly suitable for developing and applying new bioanalytical methods. We present a scalable THz metamaterial-based biosensor being utilized for the multifrequency investigation of single- and double-stranded DNA (ssDNA and dsDNA) samples. It is demonstrated that the metamaterial resonance frequency shift by the DNA’s presence depends on frequency. Our experiments with the scalable THz biosensors demonstrate a major change in the degree of the power function for dsDNA by 1.53 ± 0.06 and, in comparison, 0.34 ± 0.11 for ssDNA as a function of metamaterial resonance frequency. Thus, there is a significant advantage for dsDNA detection that can be used for increased sensitivity of biomolecular detection at higher frequencies. This work represents a first step for application-specific biosensors with potential advantages in sensitivity, specificity, and robustness.