Volume 11, Issue 8 e201700363
FULL ARTICLE

Sensitive Leptospira DNA detection using tapered optical fiber sensor

Nurul H. Zainuddin

Nurul H. Zainuddin

Department of Computer and Communication Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Wireless and Photonic Networks Research Centre (WiPNET), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Search for more papers by this author
Hui Y. Chee

Hui Y. Chee

Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Search for more papers by this author
Muhammad Z. Ahmad

Muhammad Z. Ahmad

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Center, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Search for more papers by this author
Mohd A. Mahdi

Mohd A. Mahdi

Department of Computer and Communication Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Wireless and Photonic Networks Research Centre (WiPNET), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Search for more papers by this author
Muhammad H. Abu Bakar

Muhammad H. Abu Bakar

Department of Computer and Communication Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Wireless and Photonic Networks Research Centre (WiPNET), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Search for more papers by this author
Mohd H. Yaacob

Corresponding Author

Mohd H. Yaacob

Department of Computer and Communication Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Wireless and Photonic Networks Research Centre (WiPNET), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Correspondence

Mohd H. Yaacob, Department of Computer and Communication Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Email: [email protected]

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 23 March 2018
Citations: 28
Funding information Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, Grant/Award Numbers: FRGS/1/2016/TK04/UPM/02/4, LRGS/UPM/700-2/1/LRGS/5526400

Abstract

This paper presents the development of tapered optical fiber sensor to detect a specific Leptospira bacteria DNA. The bacteria causes Leptospirosis, a deadly disease but with common early flu-like symptoms. Optical single mode fiber (SMF) of 125 μm diameter is tapered to produce 12 μm waist diameter and 15 cm length. The novel DNA-based optical fiber sensor is functionalized by incubating the tapered region with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde. Probe DNA is immobilized onto the tapered region and subsequently hybridized by its complementary DNA (cDNA). The transmission spectra of the DNA-based optical fiber sensor are measured in the 1500 to 1600 nm wavelength range. It is discovered that the shift of the wavelength in the SMF sensor is linearly proportional with the increase in the cDNA concentrations from 0.1 to 1.0 nM. The sensitivity of the sensor toward DNA is measured to be 1.2862 nm/nM and able to detect as low as 0.1 fM. The sensor indicates high specificity when only minimal shift is detected for non-cDNA testing. The developed sensor is able to distinguish between actual DNA of Leptospira serovars (Canicola and Copenhageni) against Clostridium difficile (control sample) at very low (femtomolar) target concentrations.

image

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.