Development and Validation of a Thermally Stable Aptamer-Based BioFET Sensor for Sensitive Mercury Ion Detection

This study introduces a novel aptamer-based BioFET sensor that incorporates a thermally stabilized T-Hg²⁺-T hairpin structure for the detection of mercury ions. By systematically optimizing the aptamer's melting temperature and structural conformation, the sensor achieves a four-order magnitude improvement in sensitivity. The design utilizes temperature-responsive behavior to enhance selectivity and signal output, establishing a new methodology for the ultrasensitive and reliable detection of heavy metal ions in complex environments.