Open AccessFast and Reliable Electronic Assay of a Xylella fastidiosa Single Bacterium in Infected Plants Sap
Author(s) -
Sarcina Lucia,
Macchia Eleonora,
Loconsole Giuliana,
D'Attoma Giusy,
Bollella Paolo,
Catacchio Michele,
Leonetti Francesco,
Di Franco Cinzia,
Elicio Vito,
Scamarcio Gaetano,
Palazzo Gerardo,
Boscia Donato,
Saldarelli Pasquale,
Torsi Luisa
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.202203900
Subject(s) - xylella fastidiosa , false positive paradox , detection limit , biology , bacteria , gold standard (test) , loop mediated isothermal amplification , polymerase chain reaction , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , chromatography , chemistry , medicine , computer science , dna , genetics , machine learning , gene
Pathogens ultra‐sensitive detection is vital for early diagnosis and provision of restraining actions and/or treatments. Among plant pathogens, Xylella fastidiosa is among the most threatening as it can infect hundreds of plant species worldwide with consequences on agriculture and the environment. An electrolyte‐gated transistor is here demonstrated to detect X. fastidiosa at a limit‐of‐quantification (LOQ) of 2 ± 1 bacteria in 0.1 mL (20 colony‐forming‐unit per mL). The assay is carried out with a millimeter‐wide gate functionalized with Xylella ‐capturing antibodies directly in saps recovered from naturally infected plants. The proposed platform is benchmarked against the quantitave polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) gold standard, whose LOQ turns out to be at least one order of magnitude higher. Furthermore, the assay selectivity is proven against the Paraburkholderia phytofirmans bacterium (negative‐control experiment). The proposed label‐free, fast (30 min), and precise (false‐negatives, false‐positives below 1%) electronic assay, lays the ground for an ultra‐high performing immunometric point‐of‐care platform potentially enabling large‐scale screening of asymptomatic plants.