Tuning Aptamer-Switching for Biosensing Malarial Proteins

Abstract

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by a protozoan transmitted through mosquito bites. Early diagnosis is essential to start treatment and prevent further transmission. However, current diagnostic methods are expensive, time consuming, and lack the portability required for efficient testing. Emerging methods that are faster and more portable include specialized biosensors called aptasensors. This study compared a range of complementary probes against malaria-binding aptamers to develop an aptamer-switch based platform. One candidate showed a promising increase in fluorescence upon incubating with a malaria target protein. This work has the potential to be incorporated into an aptasensor for rapid detection of malaria infections.