An Electrochemical Biosensor to Screen Oysters for Perkinsus marinus

Education Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Advisor(s)

Professor Avelina Espinosa, Professor Jennifer Pearce and Professor Allison Marn

Academic Department(s)

Biology and Biotechnology, Physics and Engineering

Comments

This research was presented at the 2024 Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, held on Friday, July 26, at the University of Rhode Island and supported by RI NSF EPSCoR.

Symposium Date

2024

Abstract

Mollusk disease-causing protists affect the ecology and economy of Narragansett Bay marine communities and their habitats. Perkinsus marinus is the causative agent of Dermo disease in oysters. The detection of this pathogenic protist informs aquaculturists about the distribution and abundance of Dermo disease but current methods are time-consuming and costly. Electrochemical biosensing is an emerging, cost-effective technique that could provide real-time detection in the field. A P. marinus DNA-coated electrode and a redox indicator were used with a custom-built potentiostat to measure the current response under applied potential for various targets. The constructed biosensor was able to specifically distinguish complementary and non-complementary oligonucleotides at pM detection levels. Future tests will include the identification of P. marinus in treated and non-treated oysters which will confirm the potential of the device as a practical screening tool for real-time detection.

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