A PNA-based Lab-on-PCB Diagnostic Platform for Rapid and High Sensitivity DNA Quantification

We report the development of a Lab-on-PCB DNA diagnostic platform, exploiting peptide nucleic acid (PNA) sequences as probes. The study demonstrates the optimization and characterization of two commercial PCB manufacturing gold electroplating processes for biosensing applications. Using an optimized ratio of PNA with a spacer molecule (MCH), the lowest limit of detection (LoD) to date for PCB-based DNA biosensors of 57 fM is reported. The study also showcases a fully integrated Lab-on-PCB microsystem designed for rapid detection, which employs PCB-integrated sample delivery, achieving DNA quantification in the 0.1-100 pM range for 5 μL samples analyzed within 5 min under continuous flow. The demonstrated biosensor proves the capability of PCB-based DNA biosensors for high sensitivity and paves the way for their integration in Lab-on-PCB DNA diagnostic microsystems.