Functionalized inorganic nanoparticles used as labels in solid-phase immunoassays

Fabrication of paper devices via laser-heating-wax-printing for high-tech enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with low-tech pen-type pH meter readout

In this work, a new method named laser-heating-wax-printing (LHWP) is described to fabricate paper devices for developing sensitive, affordable, user-friendly paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (P-ELISAs) that initially use common pen-type pH meters for portable, quantitative readout. The LHWP enables a rapid patterning of wax in paper via one step of heating the wax layer coated on the paper surface using a mini-type CO₂ laser machine. Wax-patterned paper microzones created in this way are utilized to conduct the pen-type pH meter-based P-ELISAs with enzyme-loaded SiO₂ microbeads for highly efficient signal amplification of each antibody-antigen binding event. The results show that this new P-ELISA system is quantitatively sensitive to the concentrations of a model protein analyte in buffer samples ranging from 12.5 to 200 pg mL^-1, with a limit of detection of ca. 7.5 pg mL^-1 (3σ). Moreover, the satisfactory recovery results of assaying several human serum samples validate its feasibility for practical applications.

Electrochemical Immunoassay of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Using Ag@SiO2 Nanoparticles as Labels

Silica coated silver (Ag@SiO2) nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis absorption, and the nanoparticles were used as labels in sandwich-type immunosensor of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7). The labels involved in immunoreaction were dissolved by mixed acid of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid, and the released Ag(+) ions were electrochemical stripping analyzed (via differential pulse voltammetry, DPV) at poly(acrylic acid)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)/carbon nanotubes (PAA/PDCNT) modified glass carbon electrode (GCE), which obviously enhanced the signal of Ag(+) stripping. Then, the number of E. coli O157:H7 could be indirectly reflected by the signal intensity of labeled Ag(+). And the results showed that the DPV signals were proportional to the logarithm of the E. coli O157:H7 concentration in the range from 20 cfu/mL to 8.0 × 10(3) cfu/mL with the detection limit of 13 cfu/mL.

Simultaneous multiplexed stripping voltammetric monitoring of marine toxins in seafood based on distinguishable metal nanocluster-labeled molecular tags

Marine toxins from microscopic algae can accumulate through the food chain and cause various neurological and gastrointestinal illnesses for human health. Herein, we designed a new ultrasensitive multiplexed immunoassay protocol for simultaneous electrochemical determination of brevetoxin B (BTX-2) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) in seafood using distinguishable metal nanocluster-labeled molecular tags as traces on bifunctionalized magnetic capture probes. To construct such a bifunctionalized probe, monoclonal mouse anti-BTX-2 (mAb(1)) and anti-DTX-1 (mAb(2)) antibodies were co-immobilized on a magnetic bead (MB-mAb(1,2)). The distinguishable metal nanoclusters including cadmium nanoclusters (CdNC) and copper nanoclusters (CuNC) were synthesized using the artificial peptides with amino acid sequence CCCYYY, which were used as distinguishable signal tags for the label of the corresponding bovine serum albumin-BTX-2 and bovine serum albumin-DTX-1 conjugates. A competitive-type immunoassay format was adopted for the online simultaneous monitoring of BTX-2 and DTX-1 on a homemade flow-through magnetic detection cell. The assay was based on the stripping voltammetric behaviors of the labeled CdNC and CuNC at the various peak potentials in pH 2.5 HCl containing 0.01 M KCl using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Under optimal conditions, the multiplexed immunoassays enabled simultaneous detection of BTX-2 and DTX-1 in a single run with wide working ranges of 0.005-5 ng mL(-1) for two marine toxins. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 1.8 and 6.0 pg mL(-1) for BTX-2, while those for DTX-1 were 2.2 and 7.3 pg mL(-1), respectively. No non-specific adsorption and electrochemical cross-talk between neighboring sites were observed during a series of procedures to detect target analytes. The covalent conjugation of biomolecules onto the nanoclusters and magnetic beads resulted in good repeatability and intermediate precision down to 9.5%. The method featured unbiased identification of negative (blank) and positive samples. No significant differences at the 0.05 significance level were encountered in the analysis of 12 spiked samples, including Sinonovacula constricta , Musculista senhousia , and Tegillarca granosa , between the multiplexed immunoassay and commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for analysis of BTX-2 and DTX-1.