Progress in the development of immunoanalytical methods incorporating recombinant antibodies to small molecular weight biotoxins

Quantitative Determination of Aflatoxin B1 in Maize and Feed by ELISA and Time-Resolved Fluorescent Immunoassay Based on Monoclonal Antibodies

In this study, a highly sensitive monoclonal antibody (mAb) was developed for the detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in maize and feed. Additionally, indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) and time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay assay (TRFICA) were established. Firstly, the hapten AFB1-CMO was synthesized and conjugated with carrier proteins to prepare the immunogen for mouse immunization. Subsequently, mAb was generated using the classical hybridoma technique. The lowest half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ic-ELISA was 38.6 ng/kg with a linear range of 6.25-100 ng/kg. The limits of detections (LODs) were 6.58 ng/kg and 5.54 ng/kg in maize and feed, respectively, with the recoveries ranging from 72% to 94%. The TRFICA was developed with a significantly reduced detection time of only 21 min, from sample processing to reading. Additionally, the limits of detection (LODs) for maize and feed were determined to be 62.7 ng/kg and 121 ng/kg, respectively. The linear ranges were 100-4000 ng/kg, with the recoveries ranging from 90% to 98%. In conclusion, the development of AFB1 mAb and the establishment of ic-ELISA for high-throughput sample detection, as well as TRFICA for rapid detection presented robust tools for versatile AFB1 detection in different scenarios.

Supramolecular Detoxification of Macromolecular Biotoxin through the Complexation by a Large-Sized Macrocycle

Biotoxins are diverse, complex, and hypertoxic, ultimately serving as grave and lasting menaces to humanity. Here, it is aimed to introduce a new detoxification methodology for macromolecular biotoxin through complexation by a very large macrocycle. A 25-mer peptide isolated from Lycosa erythrognatha spider venom (LyeTxI) is selected as the model macromolecular biotoxin. Quaterphen[4]arene, with a side length of ≈1.6 nm, has a sufficient cavity to bind LyeTxI. Hence, the water-soluble derivative of Quaterphen[4]arene (H) is designed and synthesized. H exhibits an overall host-guest complexation toward LyeTxI, resulting in a considerably high association constant of (7.01 ± 0.18) × 10⁷  m^-1 . This encapsulation of peptide is interesting as traditional macrocycles can only engulf the amino acid residues of peptides due to their limited cavity size. In vitro assay verifies that complexation by H inhibits the interactions of LyeTxI with cell membranes, thereby reducing its cytotoxicity, suppressing hemolysis, and decreasing the release of lactate dehydrogenase. Notably, the intravenous administration of H has a significant therapeutic effect on LyeTxI-poisoned mice, alleviating inflammation and tissue damage, and markedly improving the survival rate from 10% to 80%. An efficient and potentially versatile approach is provided to detoxify macromolecular biotoxins, with giant macrocycle serving as an antidote.

Computer-aided profiling of a unique broad-specific antibody and its application to an ultrasensitive fluoroimmunoassay for five N-methyl carbamate pesticides

Pollution of N-methyl carbamate (NMC) pesticides is threatening the non-target organisms' survival. Thus, broad-specific antibodies and class-selective immunoassays are demanding for multiple NMCs determination. In this study, we employed a molecular docking-based virtual screening strategy to fast profile antibody spectrum, based on a designed chemical pool containing 17 compounds. A monoclonal antibody (mAb)-6G against carbofuran was used as the objective. The recombinant full-length IgG was successfully expressed to validate the antibody sequences for homology modeling. After docking, we manually categorized the antibody-chemical binding strength into three groups. Non-competitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) demonstrated the mAb-6G affinitive binding toward five NMCs (carbofuran, isoprocarb, propoxur, carbaryl and carbosulfan), which were classified into strong and moderate binding categories. Antibody binding properties were confirmed again by ic-ELISA and lateral flow immunochromatographic strip. Subsequently, an ultrasensitive indirect competitive fluoromicrosphere-based immunoassay (ic-FMIA) was established with the IC₅₀ (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) values of 0.08-3.37 ng/mL. This portable assay presented a 30-230-fold improved sensitivity than traditional ic-ELISA and was applied in European surface water analysis. Overall, our work provides an efficient platform integrating in-silico and experimental methodologies to accelerate the characterization of hapten-specific antibody binding properties and the development of high-sensitive immunoassays for multi-pollutants monitoring.

Enhancing the detection sensitivity of nanobody against aflatoxin B1 through structure-guided modification

Nanobodies (Nbs) have shown great potential in immunodetection of small-molecule contaminants in food and environmental monitoring. However, the limited knowledge of the mechanism of Nbs binding to small molecules has hampered the development of high-affinity Nbs and assay improvement. We previously reported two homologous nanobodies Nb26 and Nb28 specific to aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), with the former exhibiting higher sensitivity in ELISA. Herein, Nb26 was selected as the model antibody to resolve its solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure, and investigate its AFB₁ recognition mechanism. The results revealed that Nb26 exhibits a typical immunoglobulin fold and its AFB₁-binding interface is uniquely located in complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) and framework region 2 (FR2). This finding was applied to improve the binding activity of Nb28 against AFB₁ by constructing two Nb28-based mutants A⁵⁰V and S¹⁰²D, resulting in 2.3- and 3.3-fold sensitivity enhancement over the wild type, respectively. This study develops an NMR-based strategy to analyze the underlying mechanism of Nb against AFB₁, and successfully generated two site-modified Nbs with improved detection sensitivity. It is believed that this work could greatly expand the applications of Nbs by providing a way to enhance the binding activity.

Development of a biotinylated nanobody for sensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 in cereal via ELISA

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) contamination is a severe threat to food safety and human health, and requires continuous monitoring. In this study, we developed a biotin-streptavidin-amplified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BA-ELISA) by using biotinylated nanobody Nb26 and streptavidin-conjugated polymerized horseradish peroxide (SA-PolyHRP) for sensitive and rapid detection of AFB₁ in cereal. Under the optimal condition, the IC₅₀ value of the BA-ELISA was improved to 0.21 ng mL^-1 for AFB₁, satisfying the requirement of detection limit in practical applications. The total assay time of our strategy is reduced to 50 min from 2 h in conventional competitive ELISA. Additionally, the BA-ELISA saves as much as 98% of the antibody in comparison to the previous classic ELISA. Our work also demonstrated an interesting phenomenon that the biotinylated Nb26 achieved better selectivity to AFB₁, which could possibly result from the steric hindrance that interferes reaction between the Nb26 and the AFB₁ analogs. Furthermore, the assay was used to detect AFB₁ in two cereal samples, and the results were in good agreement with that obtained by high performance liquid chromatography. The developed BA-ELISA can be used for routine screening analysis of AFB₁, and offers a promising strategy for measuring low concentrations of food contaminants.

A Rapid and Sensitive Fluorescent Microsphere-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Determination of Aflatoxin B1 in Distillers' Grains

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a toxic compound naturally produced by the genera Aspergillus. Distillers' grains can be used as animal feed since they have high content of crude protein and other nutrients. However, they are easily contaminated by mycotoxins, and currently there are no rapid detection methods for AFB1 in distillers' grains. In this study, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on red fluorescent microsphere (FM), is developed for quantitative detection of AFB1 in distillers' grains. The whole test can be completed within 15 min, with the cut-off value being 25.0 μg/kg, and the quantitative limit of detection (qLOD) being 3.4 μg/kg. This method represents satisfactory recoveries of 95.2-113.0%, and the coefficients of variation (CVs) are less than 7.0%. Furthermore, this technique is successfully used to analyze AFB1 in real samples, and the results indicates good consistency with that of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The correlation coefficient is found to be greater than 0.99. The proposed test strip facilitates on-site, cost-effective, and sensitive monitoring of AFB1 in distillers' grains.

Recombinant antibodies and their use for food immunoanalysis

Antibodies are widely employed as biorecognition elements for the detection of a plethora of compounds including food and environmental contaminants, biomarkers, or illicit drugs. They are also applied in therapeutics for the treatment of several disorders. Recent recommendations from the EU on animal protection and the replacement of animal-derived antibodies by non-animal-derived ones have raised a great controversy in the scientific community. The application of recombinant antibodies is expected to achieve a high growth rate in the years to come thanks to their versatility and beneficial characteristics in comparison to monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, such as stability in harsh conditions, small size, relatively low production costs, and batch-to-batch reproducibility. This review describes the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of recombinant antibodies including antigen-binding fragments (Fab), single-chain fragment variable (scFv), and single-domain antibodies (V_HH) and their application in food analysis with especial emphasis on the analysis of biotoxins, antibiotics, pesticides, and foodborne pathogens. Although the wide application of recombinant antibodies has been hampered by a number of challenges, this review demonstrates their potential for the sensitive, selective, and rapid detection of food contaminants.

Microcystin-LR heterologous genetically engineered antibody recombinant and its binding activity improvement and application in immunoassay

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a high-toxic biohazard that pollutes ecological environment and agroproducts. In this study, a newly recombined genetically engineered antibody (AV_HH-MV_H) with higher thermal stability and binding activity was designed by chain shuffling and based on our previously obtained anti-MC-LR scFv and nanobody. Based on AV_HH-MV_H template, a capacity of 8.99 × 10⁵ CFU/mL of phage display AV_HH-MV_H mutagenesis library was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis in MV_H-CDR3 region, and then used for ultrasensitive mutants screening. Afterwards, a total of five positive AV_HH-MV_H mutants were isolated from the mutagenesis library, and their binding activity was higher than AV_HH-MV_H for MC-LR. The AV_HH-MV_H mutant 3 was cloned into pET-25b vector for soluble expression, and the concentration of target protein expressed in culture system was 43.5 mg/L. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IC-ELISA) was established based on purified AV_HH-MV_H mutant 3 protein, and it showed ultrasensitive binding activity for MC-LR with the detection limit of 0.0075 μg/L, which was far below the maximum residue limit standard of 1.0 μg/L in drinking water proposed by World Health Organization. The established IC-ELISA shows good accuracy, repeatability, stability and applicability for MC-LR spiked samples, and it is promising for MC-LR ultrasensitive monitoring.

One-step immunoassay for the insecticide carbaryl using a chicken single-chain variable fragment (scFv) fused to alkaline phosphatase

Immunoassays provide a high-throughput method for monitoring pesticides in foods and the environment. Due to easy generation and capable of being manipulated, chicken single-chain variable fragment (scFv) is attractive in the development of immunoassays for pesticides. Two scFvs (X1 and X2) against the insecticide carbaryl were generated from a chicken immunized with hapten C1 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and fused with alkaline phosphatase (AP) to develop a rapid one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for this pesticide. X2-AP showed higher binding affinity to carbaryl than X1-AP. The X2-AP-based ELISA had a half-maximum signal inhibition concentration of 15 ng mL^-1 and a limit of detection of 1.6 ng mL^-1. This assay showed negligible cross-reactivity with other carbamate pesticides (<0.1%) and low cross-reactivity with 1-naphthol (5%). The average recoveries of carbaryl spiked in soil, apple and pear samples by the one-step assay ranged from 90% to 114% and agreed well with those of high-performance liquid chromatography. The chicken scFv-based assay showed promise as a high-throughput screening tool for carbaryl in environmental and food matrices.

High sensitive single chain variable fragment screening from a microcystin-LR immunized mouse phage antibody library and its application in immunoassay

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is one of common high-toxic biotoxins produced by cyanobacteria in waterbody. A high sensitive and convenient detection method is necessary for monitoring for MC-LR. To establish a high sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IC-ELISA) based on single chain variable fragment (scFv) for detecting MC-LR, 16 positive anti-MC-LR phage scFv particles were screened out from a MC-LR-immunized mouse phage scFv library, which was successfully constructed with the capacity of 8.67 × 10⁷ CFU/mL. The most positive anti-MC-LR phage scFv (MscFv7) was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli (E.coli) HB2151. The molecular weight (M.W.) of expressed protein was about 30 kDa, and the concentration of purified protein was 512.6 μg/mL analyzed by SDS-PAGE and protein quantitative respectively. The IC-ELISA based on MscFv7-scFv for MC-LR shows a half-maximum inhibition (IC₅₀) of 0.471 μg/L and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.044 μg/L, which is below the maximum residue limit standard (MRLs) of 1.0 μg/L in drinking water. The MscFv7-scFv has a strong cross-recognition for MC-RR and MC-YR with cross-reactivity (CRs) of 93.1% and 85.9%, respectively, but weak for MC-LW with that of 9.7%, even non-recognition for MC-WR, MC-LF and MC-LY. The recovery rates of IC-ELISA to detect MC-LR spiked in different cleanliness of water samples were 81.2-106.3% with CVs of 2.62-10.22% at intra-assay and inter-assay. The results showed that we obtained a high sensitive anti-MC-LR scFv, and the established IC-ELISA based on MscFv7-scFv should be promising for ultrasensitive monitoring MC-LR, MC-RR and MC-YR in water samples.

Optical Biosensors for Label-Free Detection of Small Molecules

Label-free optical biosensors are an intriguing option for the analyses of many analytes, as they offer several advantages such as high sensitivity, direct and real-time measurement in addition to multiplexing capabilities. However, development of label-free optical biosensors for small molecules can be challenging as most of them are not naturally chromogenic or fluorescent, and in some cases, the sensor response is related to the size of the analyte. To overcome some of the limitations associated with the analysis of biologically, pharmacologically, or environmentally relevant compounds of low molecular weight, recent advances in the field have improved the detection of these analytes using outstanding methodology, instrumentation, recognition elements, or immobilization strategies. In this review, we aim to introduce some of the latest developments in the field of label-free optical biosensors with the focus on applications with novel innovations to overcome the challenges related to small molecule detection. Optical label-free methods with different transduction schemes, including evanescent wave and optical fiber sensors, surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and interferometry, using various biorecognition elements, such as antibodies, aptamers, enzymes, and bioinspired molecularly imprinted polymers, are reviewed.

Production of Antigen-Binding Fragment against O,O-Diethyl Organophosphorus Pesticides and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Antibody Recognition

Immunoassay for pesticides is an emerging analytical method since it is rapid, efficient, sensitive, and inexpensive. In this study, a recombinant antigen-binding fragment (Fab) against a broad set of O,O-diethyl organophosphorus pesticides (DOPs) was produced and characterized. The &kappa; chain and Fd fragment were amplified via PCR and inserted into the vector pComb3XSS and the soluble Fab on phagemid pComb3XSS was induced by isopropyl &beta;-d-thiogalactoside in E. coli TOP 10F&rsquo;. SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, and indirect competitive ELISA results indicated that Fab maintained the good characteristics of the parental mAb. To better understand antibody recognition, the three-dimensional (3D) model of Fab was built via homologous modeling and the interaction between Fab and DOPs was studied via molecular docking and dynamics simulations. The model clearly explained the interaction manner of Fab and DOPs, and showed that the Arg-L96 and Arg-H52 were mainly responsible for antibody binding. This work provided a foundation for further mutagenesis of Fab to improve its characteristics.

Identification and characterisation of the proteins bound by specific phage-displayed recombinant antibodies (scFv) obtained against Brazil nut and almond extracts

BACKGROUND

Almonds and Brazil nuts are widely consumed allergenic nuts whose presence must be declared according to food labelling regulations. Their detection in food products has been recently achieved by ELISA methods with recombinant antibodies (scFv) isolated against complete Brazil nut and almond protein extracts. The screening of phage-scFv libraries against complete protein extracts confers a series of advantages over the use of purified proteins, as recombinant proteins might alter their native folding. However, using this strategy, the nature of the target detected by phage-displayed antibodies remains unknown, and requires further research to identify whether they are nut allergens or other molecules present in the extract, but not related to their allergenic potential.

RESULTS

Electrophoretic, chromatographic, immunological and spectrometric techniques revealed that the Brazil nut (BE95) and almond (PD1F6 and PD2C9) specific phage-scFvs detected conformational epitopes of the Brazil nut and almond 11S globulins, recognised by WHO/IUIS as Ber e 2 and Pru du 6 major allergens. Circular dichroism data indicated that severe heat treatment would entail loss of epitope structure, disabling scFv for target detection.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of important Brazil nut and almond allergens (Ber e 2 and Pru du 6) in foodstuffs can be determined by using phage-display antibodies BE95, PD1F6 and PD2C9 as affinity probes in ELISA. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

VHH Antibodies: Reagents for Mycotoxin Detection in Food Products

Mycotoxins are the toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi and they are a worldwide public health concern. A VHH antibody (or nanobody) is the smallest antigen binding entity and is produced by heavy chain only antibodies. Compared with conventional antibodies, VHH antibodies overcome many pitfalls typically encountered in clinical therapeutics and immunodiagnostics. Likewise, VHH antibodies are particularly useful for monitoring mycotoxins in food and feedstuffs, as they are easily genetic engineered and have superior stability. In this review, we summarize the efforts to produce anti-mycotoxins VHH antibodies and associated assays, presenting VHH as a potential tool in mycotoxin analysis.

Development and Validation of a Reproducible and Label-Free Surface Plasmon Resonance Immunosensor for Enrofloxacin Detection in Animal-Derived Foods

This study describes the development of a reproducible and label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor and its application in the detection of harmful enrofloxacin (ENRO) in animal-derived foods. The experimental parameters for the immunosensor construction and regeneration, including the pH value (4.5), concentration for coating ENRO-ovalbumin conjugate (ENRO-OVA) (100 μg·mL⁻¹), concentration of anti-ENRO antibody (80 nM) and regeneration solution (0.1 mol·L⁻¹ HCl) were evaluated in detail. With the optimized parameters, the proposed SPR immunosensor obtained a good linear response to ENRO with high sensitivity (IC₅₀: 3.8 ng·mL⁻¹) and low detection limit (IC₁₅: 1.2 ng·mL⁻¹). The proposed SPR immunosensor was further validated to have favorable performances for ENRO residue detection in typical animal-derived foods after a simple matrix pretreatment procedure, as well as acceptable accuracy (recovery: 84.3–96.6%), precision (relative standard deviation (n = 3): 1.8–4.6%), and sensitivity (IC₁₅ ≤ 8.4 ng·mL⁻¹). Each SPR chip for analysis can be reused at least 100 times with good stability and the analysis cycle containing the steps of sample uploading/chip regeneration/baseline recovery can be completed within 6 min (one cycle) and auto-operated by a predetermined program. These results demonstrated that the proposed SPR immunosensor provided an effective strategy for accurate, sensitive, and rapid detection for ENRO residue, which has great potential for routine analysis of large numbers of samples for measuring different types of compounds.

Development of Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS) Hapten Library: Synthesis, Electrophysiological Studies, and Immune Response in Rabbits

There is a need for fast detection methods for the banned rodenticide tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS), a highly potent blocker of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA ) receptors. General synthetic approach toward two groups of analogues was developed. Screening of the resulting library of compounds by FLIPR or whole-cell voltage-clamp revealed that, despite the structural differences, some of the TETS analogues retained GABAA receptor inhibition; however, their potency was an order of magnitude lower. Antibodies raised in rabbits against some of the TETS analogues conjugated to protein recognized free TETS and will be used for the development of an immunoassay for TETS.

Integrating scFv into xMAP Assays for the Detection of Marine Toxins

Marine toxins, such as saxitoxin and domoic acid are associated with algae blooms and can bioaccumulate in shell fish which present both health and economic concerns. The ability to detect the presence of toxin is paramount for the administration of the correct supportive care in case of intoxication; environmental monitoring to detect the presence of toxin is also important for prevention of intoxication. Immunoassays are one tool that has successfully been applied to the detection of marine toxins. Herein, we had the variable regions of two saxitoxin binding monoclonal antibodies sequenced and used the information to produce recombinant constructs that consist of linked heavy and light variable domains that make up the binding domains of the antibodies (scFv). Recombinantly produced binding elements such as scFv provide an alternative to traditional antibodies and serve to "preserve" monoclonal antibodies as they can be easily recreated from their sequence data. In this paper, we combined the anti-saxitoxin scFv developed here with a previously developed anti-domoic acid scFv and demonstrated their utility in a microsphere-based competitive immunoassay format. In addition to detection in buffer, we demonstrated equivalent sensitivity in oyster and scallop matrices. The potential for multiplexed detection using scFvs in this immunoassay format is demonstrated.

Bispecific Monoclonal Antibody-Based Multianalyte ELISA for Furaltadone Metabolite, Malachite Green, and Leucomalachite Green in Aquatic Products

A new multianalyte immunoassay was designed to screen furaltadone metabolite 5-morpholinomethyl-3-amino-2-oxazolidone (AMOZ), malachite green (MG), and leucomalachite green (LMG) in aquatic products using a bispecific monoclonal antibody (BsMAb). Gradient drug mutagenesis methods were separately used to prepare an anti-3-nitrobenzaldehyde-derivatized AMOZ (3-NPAMOZ) hybridoma cell line that was hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyltransferase (HGRPT) deficient and an anti-LMG hybridoma cell line that was thymidine kinase (TK) deficient. BsMAb recognizing 3-NPAMOZ and LMG was generated using hybrid-hybridomas of HGRPT and TK deficient cell lines. For AMOZ and LMG, respectively, the BsMAb-based indirect competitive ELSIA (ic-ELISA) values of 1.7 ng/mL and 45.3 ng/mL and detection limits of 0.2 ng/mL and 4.8 ng/mL. To establish the ic-ELISA, 3-NPAMOZ derivatized from AMOZ with 3-nitrobenzaldehyde and LMG reduced from MG by potassium borohydride was recognized by BsMAb. Recoveries of AMOZ, MG, and LMG in aquatic products were satisfactory and correlated with HPLC analysis. Thus, the multianalyte ic-ELISA is suitable for rapid quantification of AMOZ, MG, and LMG in aquatic products.

Combining Yeast Display and Competitive FACS to Select Rare Hapten-Specific Clones from Recombinant Antibody Libraries

The development of antibodies to low molecular weight haptens remains challenging due to both the low immunogenicity of many haptens and the cross-reactivity of the protein carriers used to generate the immune response. Recombinant antibodies and novel display technologies have greatly advanced antibody development; however, new techniques are still required to select rare hapten-specific antibodies from large recombinant libraries. In the present study, we used a combination of phage and yeast display to screen an immune antibody library (size, 4.4 × 10⁶) against hapten markers for petroleum contamination (phenanthrene and methylphenanthrenes). Selection via phage display was used first to enrich the library between 20- and 100-fold for clones that bound to phenanthrene–protein conjugates. The enriched libraries were subsequently transferred to a yeast display system and a newly developed competitive FACS procedure was employed to select rare hapten-specific clones. Competitive FACS increased the frequency of hapten-specific scFvs in our yeast-displayed scFvs from 0.025 to 0.005% in the original library to between 13 and 35% in selected pools. The presence of hapten-specific scFvs was confirmed by competitive ELISA using periplasmic protein. Three distinct antibody clones that recognize phenanthrene and methylphenanthrenes were selected, and their distinctive binding properties were characterized. To our knowledge, these are first antibodies that can distinguish between methylated (petrogenic) versus unmethylated (pyrogenic) phenanthrenes; such antibodies will be useful in detecting the sources of environmental contamination. This selection method could be generally adopted in the selection of other hapten-specific recombinant antibodies.

3D hydrogel scaffold doped with 2D graphene materials for biosensors and bioelectronics

Hydrogels consisting of three-dimensional (3D) polymeric networks have found a wide range of applications in biotechnology due to their large water capacity, high biocompatibility, and facile functional versatility. The hydrogels with stimulus-responsive swelling properties have been particularly instrumental to realizing signal transduction in biosensors and bioelectronics. Graphenes are two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials with unprecedented physical, optical, and electronic properties and have also found many applications in biosensors and bioelectronics. These two classes of materials present complementary strengths and limitations which, when effectively coupled, can result in significant synergism in their electrical, mechanical, and biocompatible properties. This report reviews recent advances made with hydrogel and graphene materials for the development of high-performance bioelectronics devices. The report focuses on the interesting intersection of these materials wherein 2D graphenes are hybridized with 3D hydrogels to develop the next generation biosensors and bioelectronics.

Quality control of antibodies for assay development

Antibodies are used as powerful tools in basic research, for example, in biomarker identification, and in various forms for diagnostics, for example, identification of allergies or autoimmune diseases. Due to their robustness and ease of handling, immunoassays are favourite methods for investigation of various biological or medical questions. Nevertheless in many cases, additional analyses such as mass spectrometry are used to validate or confirm the results of immunoassays. To minimize the workload and to increase confidence in immunoassays, there are urgent needs for antibodies which are both highly specific and well validated. Unfortunately many commercially available antibodies are neither well characterized nor fully tested for cross-reactivities. Adequate quality control and validation of an antibody is time-consuming and can be frustrating. Such validation needs to be performed for every assay/application. However, where an antibody validation is successful, a highly specific and stable reagent will be on hand. This article describes the validation processes of antibodies, including some often neglected factors, as well as unspecific binding to other sample compounds in a multiparameter diagnostic assay. The validation consists of different immunological methods, with important assay controls, and is performed in relation to the development of a diagnostic test.