Novel electrochemical sensor based on polydopamine molecularly imprinted polymer for sensitive and selective detection of Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) which is one of the most problematic causative agents of nosocomial infections, worldwide, can severely cause morbidity and mortality within the healthcare community and present a particular threat to intensive care unit patients. The infection caused by these bacteria strains is a major cause for concern among healthcare professionals and is prompting changes in both antibiotic regiments and hospital disinfection techniques. Different protocols have been employed for the identification of samples or hospital equipment, colonized by A. baumannii, so that appropriate decontamination procedures can be carried out. In this work, we introduced a new diagnostic test for A. baumannii with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). The MIP was carried out on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode applying the electropolymerization of the dopamine monomer with the template of A. baumannii. The electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy, were performed in order to characterize the NIP and MIP modified electrode in the hexacyanoferrate redox system as an electrochemical probe. The sensor exhibited a linear range of 10(2)-10(7) CFU L-1 for detecting A. baumannii with a detection limit of 30 CFU L-1. This sensor was successfully used to test the recovery of A. baumannii in human blood serum samples. According to our knowledge, this is the first report on a MIP sensor to detect A. baumannii.