# US 2012/0073987 A1 · Electrochemical method and apparatus of identifying the presence of a target > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0073987 A1 - Document ID: US20120073987A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/376,540 - Filed: 2010-06-08 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-08 - Inventors: Heinz-Bernhard Kraatz; Kagan Kerman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073987A1 ## CPC - C12Q 1/004: {mediator-assisted} - G01N 2333/16: HIV-1, HIV-2 - Y10T 29/49716: Converting - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An electrochemical method of identifying the presence of a target protein in a sample is provided. The method comprises providing a redox probe modified to include a detector that is suitable to bind to the target protein, and exposing the sample to the detector-modified redox probe. A change in the electrochemical signal produced by the redox probe as compared to a control signal is indicative of the presence of the target protein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A redox probe unit comprising a redox probe modified to incorporate a detector-binding moiety adapted to bind a detector having the capacity to specifically interact with a target. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The redox probe unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the redox probe comprises an electrode linked to a molecule that undergoes a reversible one-electron redox process. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The redox probe unit as defined in claim 3, wherein the molecule is selected from the group consisting of a metallocene, quinones, anthraquinone, [Ru(NH3)6]2+/3+ and [Ru(bipy)3]2+/3+. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The redox probe unit as defined in claim 4, wherein the metallocene is selected from the group consisting of ferrocene, cobaltocene, and derivatives thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The redox probe unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the detector-binding moiety is suitable to form a linkage with a peptide, protein or oligonucleotide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The redox probe unit as defined in claim 6, wherein the detector-binding moiety is selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, amine, hydroxide, sulfhydryl, active ester and halide. ### Claim 8 An electroactive biodetector comprising a redox probe modified to incorporate a detector-binding moiety to which is bound a detector having the capacity to interact with a target. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The biodetector defined in claim 8, wherein the redox probe comprises an electrode linked to a molecule that undergoes a reversible one-electron redox process. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The biodetector defined in claim 10, wherein the molecule is selected from the group consisting of a metallocene, quinones, anthraquinone, [Ru(NH3)6]2+/3+ and [Ru(bipy)3]2+/3+. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The biodetector defined in claim 11, wherein the metallocene is selected from the group consisting of ferrocene, cobaltocene, and derivatives thereof. ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The biodetector as defined in claim 8, wherein the detector-binding moiety is selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, amine, hydroxide, sulfhydryl, active ester and halide. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The biodetector as defined in claim 8, wherein detector is a peptide or nucleic acid ligand. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The biodetector as defined in claim 15, wherein the detector is a ligand for a viral protein. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The biodetector as defined in claim 16, wherein the viral protein is an HIV-1 enzyme selected from the group consisting of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, HIV-1 integrase and HIV-1 protease. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The biodetector as defined in claim 15, wherein the detector is a ligand for a non-viral protein selected from the group consisting of antibodies, hormones and antigens. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) A method of preparing an electroactive biodetector as defined in claim 8 suitable for the detection of a target comprising the steps of: i) modifying a redox probe to incorporate a detector-binding moiety on the surface thereof; and ii) attaching to the detector-binding moiety a detector which has the capacity to specifically interact with the target. ### Claim 20 An electrochemical method of detecting a target in a sample comprising the steps of: i) exposing the sample to a redox probe modified to include a detector that is suitable to bind to the target, wherein the detector is linked to the probe via a detector binding moiety, and ii) measuring the electrochemical signal produced by the redox probe, wherein a change in the electrochemical signal of the probe as compared with a control signal is indicative of the presence of the target in the sample. ### Claim at position 21 21-30. (canceled) ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the signal is measured by one of cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, alternating current voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 8) An electroactive biodetector unit adapted to detect multiple targets, wherein the biodetector unit comprises multiple biodetectors as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said biodetectors is adapted to detect a different target. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The biodetector unit of claim 33, wherein each biodetector comprises a redox probe modified to incorporate a detector-binding moiety to which is bound a detector and each detector is adapted to detect a different targets. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The biodetector unit of claim 34, wherein each detector is adapted to detect a different HIV-1 protein selected from the group consisting of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, HIV-1 integrase and HIV-1 protease.