Ultrasensitive Monolayer MoS₂ Field-Effect Transistor Based DNA Sensors for Screening of Down Syndrome

Abstract

Field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors based on low-dimensional materials present the advantages of low cost, high speed, small size, and excellent compatibility with integrated circuits (ICs). In this work, we fabricated highly sensitive FET-based DNA biosensors based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown monolayer MoS₂ films in batches and explored their application in noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for trisomy 21 syndrome. Specifically, MoS₂ was functionalized with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) of an optimized size and at an ideal density, and then, probe DNAs for the specific capture of target DNAs were immobilized on the nanoparticles. The fabricated FET biosensors are able to reliably detect target DNA fragments (chromosome 21 or 13) with a detection limit below 100 aM, a high response up to 240%, and a high specificity, which satisfy the requirement for the screening of Down syndrome. In addition, a real-time test was conducted to show that the biosensor clearly responds to the target DNA at concentrations as low as 1 fM. Our approach shows the potential for detecting the over-expression of chromosome 21 in the peripheral blood of pregnant women and achieving Down syndrome screening.