Lanthanide complex-based fluorescence label for time-resolved fluorescence bioassay

Millisecond lifetime imaging with a europium complex using a commercial confocal microscope under one or two-photon excitation

We demonstrate that a commercial confocal microscope can perform time-gated and long lifetime imaging in the μs to ms range under classical one photon or nonlinear two photon excitation.

Extension of dynamic range of sensitive nanoparticle-based immunoassays

Nanoparticles have successfully been employed in immunometric assays that require high sensitivity. Certain analytes, however, require dynamic ranges (DRs) around a predetermined cut-off value. Here, we have studied the effects that antibody orientation and addition of free solid-phase and detection antibodies have on assay sensitivity and DR in traditional sandwich-type immunoassays. D-dimer and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), both routinely used in critical care testing, were applied as model analytes. The assays were performed in microtitration wells with preimmobilized solid-phase antibody. Inherently fluorescent nanoparticles coated with second antibody were used to detect the analyte. The selection of antibody orientation and addition of free solid-phase or detection antibody, with nanoparticles and calibrator, desensitized the assays and extended the DR. With D-dimer the upper limit of the DR was improved from 50 to 10,000 ng/ml, and with cTnI from 25 to 1000 ng/ml. Regression analysis with the Stago STA Liatest D-dimer assay yielded a slope (95% confidence interval) of 0.09 (0.07-0.11) and a y-intercept of -7.79 (-17.87-2.29)ng/L (n=65, r=0.906). Thus it is concluded that Europium(III)-chelate-doped nanoparticles can also be employed in immunoassays that require wide DRs around a certain cut-off limit.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of encapsulated sol-gel glass samarium complexes

Luminescence efficiency of lanthanide complexes generally largely depend on the choice of the organic ligand and the host matrix in which these complexes are doped. Two Sm(III) complexes, namely: Sm(III) dithicarbamate - Sm(L1)3B [L1=(R)2NCS2B, R=C2H5 and B=1,10-phenanthroline] and Sm(III) complex with the polytonic ligand L2=N', N'(2)-bis[(1E)-1-(2-pyridyl)ethylidene]ethanedihydrazide {Sm2-L2-(CH3COO)2; L2=C16H16N6O2} are synthesized, these complexes are then trapped in sol-gel glass. Room temperature luminescence of Sm(L1)3B and {Sm2-L2-(CH3COO)2} complexes encapsulated in sol-gel glass are studied using a spectrofluorometer. Up on excitation by a UV light, ligand L1B absorbs this light and transfers it into the Sm(III) ions and emission bands were observed in the visible region and were attributed to f-f transitions of Sm(III). The observed emission indicated an efficient L1B ligand as a sensitizer, while ligand L2 shows no ability to work as a sensitizer. The branching ratio I4G5/2→6H9/2/I4G5/2→6H7/2) of electric dipole transition to magnetic dipole transition was used as an effective spectroscopic probe to predict symmetry of the site in which Sm(III) is located. The encapsulation of the Samaium complexes was performed for three reasons: (i) before rare earth (RE)-doped sol-gel glasses can be used in applications such as laser materials, several fluorescence quenching mechanisms must be overcome, we show in this work that lanthanide fluorescence is greatly enhanced by chelation and selecting a suitable host matrix (sol-gel) to accommodate the lanthanide complex, (ii) to improve the stability of the phosphor with efficient and high color-purity characteristics under ultraviolet excitation and (iii) this work provides a framework for preparing transparent composite glasses that are robust hosts to study the fundamental interactions between nano-materials and light.

Modulation of molecular hybridization and charge screening in a carbon nanotube network channel using the electrical pulse method

In this paper, we investigate the effect of electrical pulse bias on DNA hybridization events in a biosensor platform, using a Carbon Nanotube Network (CNN) and Gold Nano Particles (GNP) as an electrical channel. The scheme provides both hybridization rate enhancement of bio molecules, and electrical measurement in a transient state to avoid the charge screening effect, thereby significantly improving the sensitivity. As an example, the probe DNA molecules oscillate with pulse trains, resulting in the enhancement of DNA hybridization efficiency, and accordingly of the sensor performances in Tris-EDTA (TE) buffer solution, by as much as over three times, compared to the non-biasing conditions. More importantly, a wide dynamic range of 10(6) (target-DNA concentration from 5 pM to 5 μM) is achieved in human serum. In addition, the pulse biasing method enables one to obtain the conductance change, before the ions within the Electrical Double Layer (EDL) are redistributed, to avoid the charge screening effect, leading to an additional sensitivity enhancement.

Fluorescence in nanobiotechnology: sophisticated fluorophores for novel applications

Nanobiotechnology is one of the fastest growing and broadest-ranged interdisciplinary subfields of the nanosciences. Countless hybrid bio-inorganic composites are currently being pursued for various uses, including sensors for medical and diagnostic applications, light- and energy-harvesting devices, along with multifunctional architectures for electronics and advanced drug-delivery. Although many disparate biological and nanoscale materials will ultimately be utilized as the functional building blocks to create these devices, a common element found among a large proportion is that they exert or interact with light. Clearly continuing development will rely heavily on incorporating many different types of fluorophores into these composite materials. This review covers the growing utility of different classes of fluorophores in nanobiotechnology, from both a photophysical and a chemical perspective. For each major structural or functional class of fluorescent probe, several representative applications are provided, and the necessary technological background for acquiring the desired nano-bioanalytical information are presented.

The luminescence response of Eu(III)-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate complexes upon preresonant excitation with femtosecond laser pulses

The luminescence of thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (TTA) coordination complexes of trivalent europium ion (Eu(III)) in aqueous solutions and in solid-state polymeric films is probed upon single- and two-photon preresonant excitation with Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. Particularly, diamine-liganded Eu(III)(TTA)(3) and poly(oxyethylene phosphate)tris(beta-diketonate)Eu(III) complexes are examined aiming their possible applications as luminescent labels for sensing and imaging of biological molecules. Even at a pre-resonance, the excitation of these compounds with high-intensity, broadband light of frequency-doubled Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser centered around 400 nm results in a luminescence response suitable for fluorometric applications.

The luminescence response of diamine-liganded europium complexes upon resonant and pre-resonant excitation

The luminescence of four europium thenoyltrifluoroacetonate complexes containing diamine ligands is studied in solutions. The compounds are resonantly excited in the ligand absorption band by means of high-power nanosecond UV laser pulses. Additionally, a continuous light source is also used for resonant, as well as pre-resonant excitation of the complexes. The luminescence response characterizes the synthesized europium coordination complexes as emissive compounds suitable for fluorometric applications. Related to the possible usefulness of the diamine-liganded Eu complexes as luminescent labels for sensing and imaging of biological molecules, the luminescence response of these compounds upon UV excitation was probed also in aqueous media.

The detection of HBV DNA with gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle gene probes

Gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA probes were prepared, and their application for HBV DNA measurement was studied. Gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by the citrate reduction of tetra-chloroauric acid in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles which were added as seeds. With a fluorescence-based method, the maximal surface coverage of hexaethiol 30-mer oligonucleotides and the maximal percentage of hybridization strands on gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were (120 ± 8) oligonucleotides per nanoparticle, and (14 ± 2%), respectively, which were comparable with those of (132 ± 10) and (22 ± 3%) in Au nanoparticle groups. Large network aggregates were formed when gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle HBV DNA gene probe was applied to detect HBV DNA molecules as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and the high specificity was verified by blot hybridization. Our results further suggested that detecting DNA with iron oxide nanoparticles and magnetic separator was feasible and might be an alternative effective method.

Two-Photon Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Lanthanide Bioprobes

The linear and non-linear photophysical properties of tris-dipicolinate europium and terbium complexes (absorption, emission, lifetime, luminescence induced by two-photon absorption) are studied in the crystalline state as well as in protein derivative crystals and compared to those in solution. Upon laser irradiation at 532 nm, luminescence of terbium is induced by a two-photon antenna effect, whereas luminescence of europium results from one-photon absorption in forbidden f-f transitions. Finally, linear and two-photon microscopy imaging experiments on biological and bio-inspired crystals are performed. These first proof-of-concept experiments open the way for the development of time-resolved non-linear microscopy that should combine the advantages of lanthanide luminescence (long lifetime, sharp emission bands, insensitivity to oxygen) with those of confocal biphotonic excitation (near-IR excitation, 3D resolution and reduced photodamage).