Resumen de Development of an Electrochemical Sensor Using Pencil Graphite Electrode for Monitoring UV-Induced DNA Damage
Soha Ahmadi, Hamid Fini, Talia Ho, Paniz Jalali Nadoushan, Heinz-Bernhard Kraatz, Kagan Kerman
This laboratory experiment introduces the fundamentals of electrochemical techniques to the undergraduate students by developing a simple and cost-effective miniaturized electrochemical setup for detecting UV-induced DNA damage. This is an imperative experiment, as it provides students first-hand experience with electrochemical techniques while reinforcing lecture material on the biosensing applications. In this experiment, a simple and daily use material such as an ordinary pencil lead acts as a platform for an electrochemical DNA sensor. A three-electrode cell setup is utilized to monitor UV-induced DNA damage. Students will test the hypothesis about UV-induced DNA damage by measuring the redox signal of guanine under various experimental conditions. The simple, fast, and inexpensive setup allows students to examine the factors that would influence the electrochemical signals. This experimental work provides an opportunity for students to learn how to design a simple electrochemical experiment for research purposes as well as handling the biological samples. Proposing a hypothesis and testing it by designing an experiment are the experiences that will be gained by the students while learning about the optimization and validation of an analytical technique.
