Electrochemical paper-based immunosensor engineered with zinc oxide-nanoflower structures for the detection of field isolated Pasteurella multocida.

In this research, we created a paper-based electrochemical immunosensor for detecting Pasteurella multocida antigen (Pm-Ag). Bacteria were obtained from a buffalo nasal swab, and the antigen was prepared and then injected into rabbits to induce a highly specific antibody (Pm-Ab). We created a carbon-based paper electrode chip using a screen-printing method, followed by coating with zinc oxide-nanoflowers (ZnO-NFs). The coating improved the sensor's sensitivity due to the fact that zinc oxide- nanoflowers has remarkable physiochemical properties which enable electron transfer. Characterization of nanomaterial was conducted using UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-rays (EDX). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used in electrochemical characterization. The developed platform demonstrated effective detection of Pm-Ag across concentrations from 0.9 to 6.4 µg/mL, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.9 µg/mL. These findings support the potential application of our sensor for detecting animal pathogens in a cost-effective, straightforward, and highly sensitive manner using a paper-based electrode chip.