Using cell membranes as recognition layers to construct ultrasensitive and selective bioelectronic affinity sensors

Summary

This study develops an electrochemical affinity sensor that uses natural cell membranes instead of a conventional antibody-only recognition layer. Standard sandwich immunosensors can require several electrode-modification steps and may suffer from nonspecific adsorption in complex samples. The researchers coated a transducer in one step with a combination of human macrophage and red-blood-cell membranes. Receptors retained in the macrophage membrane supplied biologically relevant binding sites for target proteins, while the erythrocyte membrane reduced unwanted surface fouling. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha served as the model analyte. The composite sensor detected this cytokine with a reported limit of 150 picomolar, demonstrating that target capture and antifouling functions can coexist on the same bioelectronic interface. The principal finding is that membranes from two cell types can contribute complementary functions—recognition and background suppression—without lengthy synthetic functionalization. This creates a potentially adaptable architecture for protein sensing. The abstract does not describe selectivity against particular interferents, performance in clinical specimens, reproducibility, storage stability, sensor regeneration, or comparison with established commercial assays, so ultrasensitivity and broad application remain supported only within the reported experimental context.