Towards detecting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) using microcantilever sensors

Abstract

In this work, attempts have been made to develop an early HIV virus detector through DNA hybridization. The reason for detecting the genetic materials of the HIV rather than the virus is because HIV is asymptomatic during the first weeks (sometimes months) after an infection. Microcantilever sensors were used in this work to detect the hybridization process. The active microcantilever was functionalized with thiol modified single stranded DNA with the sequence (5’-/ThioMC6-D/ TCT GTA TGT CAT TGE CAG TCC AGC T-3)’. The reference microcantilever was exposed to TE buffer solution. Samples containing complementary sequences were introduced into the microcantilever sensor cell in a constant flow. The microcantilever sensors were able to detect concentrations as low as 0.2 nM. Experiments were also conducted by varying the chain length of the target DNA. A sample consisting of 1497 bases produced from actual HIV RNA was successfully detected at a concentration of 0.2 nM. Based on the deflection signal obtained, it should be possible to detect a sample concentration as low as 0.1 nM without having to modify the current system.