Investigation of the utility of complementary electrochemical detection techniques to examine the in vitro affinity of bacterial flagellins for a toll-like receptor 5 biosensor.

An initial investigation of the fabrication of a novel biosensor utilizing toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) has been conducted. The detection assay using this sensor platform has been carried out using two complementary electrochemical techniques. The electrochemical properties of the modified bare gold surface following TLR5 immobilization were characterized. The electrochemical response to changes in the sensor film resistance and electron charge-transfer permittivity triggered by independent exposures to flagellins from Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) were examined and observed. The quantified film resistance data gathered using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) over a macroscopic scale are in significant agreement with the corresponding electron charge-transfer permittivity measured locally by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Unlike other sensors that exploit pathogen recognition elements, TLR5 biosensors have the potential to carry out broad-spectrum detection of flagellated bacterial pathogens in near real time. This broad-spectrum detection platform is a significant step toward the development of fast, inexpensive clinical tools for early warning diagnoses and immediate on-site treatment.