Samenvatting

Genetic assays are very useful tools for clinical diagnostics and therapeutics. This thesis addresses the development of electrochemical microRNA genosensor, envisioned to be used as a clinical diagnostic tool. Dysregulation of numerous microRNAs have been reported to be closely associated to diseases. This makes them valuable biomarkers for minimally-invasive diagnostics. However, detection of microRNA is challenging, especially in the minute amount of circulating microRNAs. The research focused on achieving a reliable and sensitive sensing mechanism for circulating microRNA biomarkers of hypoxia. The approach can potentially be a rapid and less-laborious alternative to the traditional immunohistochemistry assay.
Based on review of different genosensor approaches, a model based on conformational change signalling was conceptualized, which then was put into experimental testing using synthetic nucleic acid polymers and electrochemistry (voltammetry) interrogation methods. Experimental results revealed that a robust, reliable genosensor signalling could be achieved the proposed model. However, required detection limit was not achieved in experimental data, and thus still need further work for genosensor’s clinical application.