We recently published two studies in the international journals Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X and Advanced Healthcare Materials. Both works demonstrate the potential of electrolyte-gated organic transistors as platforms for advanced biomedical sensing.
“Electrolyte-Gated Organic Transistors Based on Donor–Acceptor Polymers for DNA Biosensing”
S. Kateryna, A. Paradisi, K. Schmidt, M. Sensi, M. Berto, P. A. Manco Urbina, R. Hasler, J. Dostalek, W. Knoll, F. Biscarini, M. Pinti, and C. A. Bortolotti.
This work investigates the donor–acceptor polymer DPP-DTT as an organic semiconductor for stable biosensing in aqueous and biologically relevant environments. The resulting electrolyte-gated organic transistor enables the specific, label-free detection of a mitochondrial DNA sequence associated with multiple sclerosis over a concentration range from 70 pM to 5 nM. Surface plasmon–enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS), together with surface plasmon resonance (SPR), was used to characterize the functionalization of the gate electrode and independently assess DNA hybridization and binding affinity. The complementary use of optical and electronic readout methods strengthens the validation of the sensing strategy and supports DPP-DTT-based transistors as robust platforms for DNA biosensing.
Read the article in Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosx.2026.100826
“Quantification of Phosphorylated Tau Protein in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients’ Fluids With Electrolyte-Gated Organic Transistor Biosensors”
M. Berto, P. A. Manco Urbina, A. Paradisi, M. Sensi, N. Iacovino, C. Carbone, R. Bedin, M. Pinti, F. Biscarini, G. Zamboni, and C. A. Bortolotti.
This study reports an antibody-functionalized transistor biosensor for detecting phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau 181), a key biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, the device was tested using real cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from patients with mild cognitive impairment, enabling the quantification of p-tau 181 across physiological and pathological concentrations. Sensor measurements were also correlated with MRI data from the same patients, identifying brain regions in which gray-matter density decreases with increasing p-tau levels. The study therefore connects biosensor performance with clinically relevant biochemical and neuroimaging data.
Read the article in Advanced Healthcare Materials:
https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.71634