Detection of hepatitis B virus by piezoelectric biosensor

A highly sensitive piezoelectric HBV DNA biosensor has been developed based on the sensitive mass-transducing function of the quartz crystal microbalance and the speciality of nucleic acid hybridization reaction. HBV nucleic acid probe was immobilized onto the gold electrodes of a 9 MHz AT-cut piezoelectric quartz crystal with the polyethyleneimine adhesion, glutaraldehyde cross-linking (PEI-Glu) method or the physical adsorption method. The coated crystal with the PEI-Glu method to immobilized HBV nucleic acid probe showed the better results than the physical adsorption method with respect to sensitivity reproducibility and stability. The frequency shifts of hybridization have better linear relationship with the amount of HBV DNA, when the amount was in range 0.02-0.14 mug/ml. The crystal could be regenerated nearly five times without perceptible decrease of sensitivity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.