An integrated electrochemical platform for low-volume biosensing
We present a fully integrated, low-cost electrochemical sensing platform that combines a custom 3D-printed flow cell, a microfluidic pumping module, and a C# GUI for synchronized control, acquisition, and on-board analysis. The system addresses limitations of conventional SPE workflows by automating delivery–measure–rinse sequences and stabilizing flow, enabling reproducible measurements with an effective contact volume of ~15 µL (per-run sample load ~45 µL including upstream volume). Using dsDNA as a model analyte, chronoamperometry under continuous flow yielded a linear calibration across 100–1000 µg/mL (R2 ≈ 0.965). Limited SPE reuse was supported by an electrochemical regeneration step, e.g., the first cycle preserved ~90% of the initial signal with similar peak structure, a second cycle produced reduced but qualitatively usable responses, while further cycles showed substantial attenuation/broadening. Under matched conditions, the platform achieved comparable signal to pipette-based delivery with improved reproducibility, reduced baseline drift, and shorter hands-on time. The GUI integrates instrument control with automated dilution calculators and real-time visualization, minimizing operator variability. These results establish a compact, programmable chassis for low-volume SPE assays with straightforward adaptation to point-of-care and field contexts.
Authors
- Ünal Akar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0000-8999)
- Arif E. Çetin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0788-8108)
- Seda Nur Topkaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7816-3155)
- Ali Koşar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6283-6717)
- Fatma Kurul (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6394-3079)
- Furkan Kocer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5891-7436)
- Damla Aydoğan
- Dogukan Topcu
Institutions
- Izmir University (TR)
- Sabancı Üniversitesi (TR)
- Dokuz Eylül University (TR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Biosensing
- Published
- 2026-03-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44328-026-00083-0
- Primary Topic
- Microfluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00