3D graphene biosensor detects uric acid in sweat down to femtomolar levels

Researchers at Shanghai University and Shanghai General Hospital at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine have developed an electrochemical biosensor that combines a three-dimensional graphene framework with a heat-denatured casein interlayer to detect uric acid in sweat at femtomolar concentrations – a sensitivity the team says surpasses prior sweat-based uric acid sensors.

Uric acid is a key biomarker for conditions like gout, hyperuricemia, kidney dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease, and is conventionally measured through blood tests that require trained personnel and aren’t suited to frequent or continuous monitoring. Sweat-based sensing offers a non-invasive alternative, but the low concentration of uric acid in sweat and the complexity of the sweat matrix have made reliable detection difficult, and conventional two-dimensional graphene sensing platforms are limited by restricted surface area for enzyme loading and slow analyte diffusion to active sites.

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