Clack, K.; Sallam, M.; Matheson, C.; Muyldermans, S.; Nguyen, N.-T. Towards a Wearable Feminine Hygiene Platform for Detection of Invasive Fungal Pathogens via Gold Nanoparticle Aggregation. Micromachines2024, 15, 899.
Clack, K.; Sallam, M.; Matheson, C.; Muyldermans, S.; Nguyen, N.-T. Towards a Wearable Feminine Hygiene Platform for Detection of Invasive Fungal Pathogens via Gold Nanoparticle Aggregation. Micromachines 2024, 15, 899.
Clack, K.; Sallam, M.; Matheson, C.; Muyldermans, S.; Nguyen, N.-T. Towards a Wearable Feminine Hygiene Platform for Detection of Invasive Fungal Pathogens via Gold Nanoparticle Aggregation. Micromachines2024, 15, 899.
Clack, K.; Sallam, M.; Matheson, C.; Muyldermans, S.; Nguyen, N.-T. Towards a Wearable Feminine Hygiene Platform for Detection of Invasive Fungal Pathogens via Gold Nanoparticle Aggregation. Micromachines 2024, 15, 899.
Abstract
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus that becomes pathogenic and problematic under certain biological conditions. C.albicans may cause painful and uncomfortable symptoms, as well as deaths in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, early detection of c.albicans is essential. However, conventional detection methods are costly, slow and inaccessible to women in remote or developing areas. To address these concerns, we have developed a wearable and discrete naked-eye detectable, colorimetric platform for c.albicans detection. With some modification, this platform is designed to be directly adhered to existing feminine hygiene pads. Our platform is rapid, inexpensive, user-friendly, disposable and only requires three steps: i) addition of vaginal fluid onto sample pads; ii) addition of gold nanoparticle gel and running buffer, and iii) naked eye detection. Our platform is underpinned by selective thiolated aptamer-based recognition of 1,3-β-D glucan molecules- a hallmark of c.albicans cell walls. In the absence of c.albicans, wearable sample pads turn bright pink. In the presence of c. albicans, the wearable pads turn dark blue due to significant nanoparticle target-induced aggregation. We demonstrate naked eye colorimetric detection of 4.4 ×106 c.albicans cells per ml. We believe that this proof-of-concept platform has the potential to have a significant impact on women’s health, globally.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Pathology and Pathobiology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
