Tandem dye acceptor used to enhance upconversion fluorescence resonance energy transfer in homogeneous assays

Homogeneous immunoassay for cyclopiazonic acid based upon mimotopes and upconversion-resonance energy transfer

Strains of Penicillium spp. are used for fungi-ripened cheeses and Aspergillus spp. routinely contaminate maize and other crops. Some of these strains can produce toxic secondary metabolites (mycotoxins), including the neurotoxin α-cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). In this work, we developed a homogeneous upconversion-resonance energy transfer (UC-RET) immunoassay for the detection of CPA using a novel epitope mimicking peptide, or mimotope, selected by phage display. CPA-specific antibody was used to isolate mimotopes from a cyclic 7-mer peptide library in consecutive selection rounds. Enrichment of antibody binding phages was achieved, and the analysis of individual phage clones revealed four different mimotope peptide sequences. The mimotope sequence, ACNWWDLTLC, performed best in phage-based immunoassays, surface plasmon resonance binding analyses, and UC-RET-based immunoassays. To develop a homogeneous assay, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP, type NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺) were used as energy donors and coated with streptavidin to anchor the synthetic biotinylated mimotope. Alexa Fluor 555, used as an energy acceptor, was conjugated to the anti-CPA antibody fragment. The homogeneous single-step immunoassay could detect CPA in just 5 min and enabled a limit of detection (LOD) of 30 pg mL^-1 (1.5 μg kg^-1) and an IC₅₀ value of 0.36 ng mL^-1. No significant cross-reactivity was observed with other co-produced mycotoxins. Finally, we applied the novel method for the detection of CPA in spiked maize samples using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) as a reference method.

Study of energy transfer processes between rare earth ions and photosensitizer molecules for photodynamic therapy with IR-excitation

Today, photodynamic therapy is one of the most promising minimally invasive methods of treatment of various diseases, including cancer. The main limitation of this method is the insufficient penetration into the tissue of laser radiation used to activate photosensitizer molecules, which makes it difficult to carry out therapy in the treatment of large or deep-seated tumors. In this regard, there is a great interest in the development of new strategies for photodynamic therapy using infrared radiation for excitation, the wavelengths of which fall into the “transparency window” of biological tissues. In this work, it was proposed to use upconversion NaGdF4 :Yb:Er nanoparticles (UCNP), which absorb infrared excitation and serve as a donor that transfers energy to the photosensitizer. Photosens and phthalosens were chosen as the most promising photosensitizers for the study. The aim of this work was to study the energy transfer processes between upconversion nanoparticles doped with rare-earth ions and photosensitizer molecules. in order to excite photosensitizers with IR radiation and carry out photodynamic therapy of deep-seated neoplasms. Using spectroscopic and time-resolved methods, it has been demonstrated that there is an efficient energy transfer between upconversion particles and photosensitizers phthalosens and photosens. The calculated efficiency of energy transfer by the Foerster mechanism was 41% for the UCNP + photosens system and 69% for the UCNP + phthalosens system. It has been experimentally and theoretically proved that there is a binding of photosensitizer molecules with UCNP by means of surfactants, leading to a reduction in the distance between them, due to which effective nonradiative energy transfer is realized. The generation of singlet oxygen by the phthalosens photosensitizer upon excitation by means of energy transfer from UCNP, excited at 980 nm wavelength of, has been demonstrated.

Sensors/nanosensors based on upconversion materials for the determination of pharmaceuticals and biomolecules: An overview

Upconversion materials have been the focus of a large body of research in analytical and clinical fields in the last two decades owing to their ability to convert light between various spectral regions and their particular photophysical features. They emit efficient and sharp ultraviolet (UV) or visible luminescence after excitation with near-infrared (NIR) light. These features overcome some of the disadvantages reported for conventional fluorescent materials and provide opportunities for high sensitivity chemo-and bio-sensing. Here, we review studies that used upconversion materials as sensors for the determination of pharmaceuticals and biomolecules in the last two decades. The articles included in this review were retrieved from the SCOPUS database using the search phrases: "upconversion nanoparticles for determination of pharmaceutical compounds", and "upconversion nanoparticles for determination of biomolecules". Details of each developed upconversion nanoparticles based sensor along with their relevant analytical parameters are reported and carefully explained.

Quantitative assessment of energy transfer in upconverting nanoparticles grafted with organic dyes

Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are luminophores that have been investigated for a multitude of biological applications, notably low-background imaging, high-sensitivity assays, and cancer theranostics. In these applications, they are frequently used as a donor in resonance energy transfer (RET) pairs. However, because of the peculiarity and non-linearity of their luminescence mechanism, their behavior as a RET pair component has been difficult to predict quantitatively, preventing their optimization for subsequent applications. In this article, we assembled UCNP-organic dye RET systems and investigated their luminescence decays and spectra, with varying UCNP sizes and quantities of dyes grafted onto their surface. We observed an increase in RET efficiency with lower particle sizes and higher dye decoration. We also observed several unexpected effects, notably a quenching of UCNP luminescence bands that are not resonant with the absorption of organic dyes. We proposed a semi-empirical Monte Carlo model for predicting the behavior of UCNP-organic dye systems, and validated it by comparison with our experimental data. These findings will be useful for the development of more accurate UCNP-based assays, sensors, and imaging agents, as well as for optimization of UCNP-organic dye RET systems employed in cancer treatment and theranostics.

Targeted and efficient activation of channelrhodopsins expressed in living cells via specifically-bound upconversion nanoparticles

Optogenetics is an innovative technology now widely adopted by researchers in different fields of biological sciences. However, most light-sensitive proteins adopted in optogenetics are excited by ultraviolet or visible light which has a weak tissue penetration capability. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), which absorb near-infrared (NIR) light to emit shorter wavelength light, can help address this issue. In this report, we demonstrated the target selectivity by specifically conjugating the UCNPs with channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). We tagged the V5 epitope to the extracellular N-terminal of ChR2 (V5-ChR2m) and functionalized the surface of UCNPs with NeutrAvidin (NAv-UCNPs). After the binding of the biotinylated antibody against V5 onto the V5-ChR2m expressed in the plasma membrane of live HEK293T cells, our results showed that the NAv-UCNPs were specifically bound to the membrane of cells expressing V5-ChR2m. Without the V5 epitope or NAv modification, no binding of UCNPs onto the cell membrane was observed. For the cells expressing V5-ChR2m and bound with NAv-UCNPs, both 488 nm illumination and the upconverted blue emission from UCNPs by 980 nm excitation induced an inward current and elevated the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. Our design reduces the distance between UCNPs and light-sensitive proteins to the molecular level, which not only minimizes the NIR energy required but also provides a way to guide the specific binding for optogenetics applications.

Multimodal cancer imaging using lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles

Multimodal nanoprobes that integrate different imaging modalities in one nano-system could offer synergistic effect over any modality alone to satisfy the higher requirements on the efficiency and accuracy for clinical diagnosis and medical research. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), particularly lanthanide (Ln)-based NPs have been regarded as an ideal building block for constructing multimodal bioprobes due to their fascinating properties. In this review, we first summarize recent advances in the optimizations of existing UCNPs. In particular, we highlight the applications of Ln-based UCNPs for multimodal cancer imaging in vitro and in vivo. The explorations of UCNPs-based multimodal nanoprobes for targeting diagnosis and imaging-guided therapeutics are also presented. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of Ln-based UCNPs in this rapid growing field are discussed.

Combinatorial approaches for developing upconverting nanomaterials: high-throughput screening, modeling, and applications

This review surveys the use of combinatorial and high-throughput techniques for the rapid discovery, optimization, and application of upconverting nanomaterials.

Cyclometallated ruthenium complex-modified upconversion nanophosphors for selective detection of Hg2+ ions in water

Upconversion detection nanocomposites were assembled for the selective luminescent detection of mercury ions in water. A hydrophobic cyclometallated ruthenium complex [Ru(II)(bpy)2(thpy)]PF6 (abbreviated as Ru1; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine and thpy = 2-(2-thienyl)pyridine) is employed as a chemodosimeter to assemble on amphiphilic polymer-coating upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) based on the hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction. Upon addition of Hg(2+), the nanocomposite not only exhibits a remarkable color change from deep-red to yellow, but also an enhanced upconversion luminescence (UCL) emission by hindering the luminescent resonance energy transfer (LRET) process from the upconversion emission of UCNPs to Ru1. Using the ratiometric UCL emission as a detection signal, the detection limit of Hg(2+) for this nanoprobe in aqueous solution is 8.2 ppb, which is much lower than that (329 ppb) determined by UV/Vis technology. Such an Hg(2+)-tunable LRET process provides a general strategy for fabricating a water-soluble upconversion-based nanoprobe for some special analyte.

An ultrasensitive homogeneous aptasensor for kanamycin based on upconversion fluorescence resonance energy transfer

We developed an ultrasensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) aptasensor for kanamycin detection, using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as the energy donor and graphene as the energy acceptor. Oleic acid modified upconversion nanoparticles were synthesized through a hydrothermal process followed by a ligand exchange with hexanedioic acid. The kanamycin aptamer (5'-NH2-AGATGGGGGTTGAGGCTAAGCCGA-3') was tagged to UCNPs through an EDC-NHS protocol. The π-π stacking interaction between the aptamer and graphene brought UCNPs and graphene in close proximity and hence initiated the FRET process resulting in quenching of UCNPs fluorescence. The addition of kanamycin to the UCNPs-aptamer-graphene complex caused the fluorescence recovery because of the blocking of the energy transfer, which was induced by the conformation change of aptamer into a hairpin structure. A linear calibration was obtained between the fluorescence intensity and the logarithm of kanamycin concentration in the range from 0.01 nM to 3 nM in aqueous buffer solution, with a detection limit of 9 pM. The aptasensor was also applicable in diluted human serum sample with a linear range from 0.03 nM to 3 nM and a detection limit of 18 pM. The aptasensor showed good specificity towards kanamycin without being disturbed by other antibiotics. The ultrahigh sensitivity and pronounced robustness in complicated sample matrix suggested promising prospect of the aptasensor in practical applications.

Graphitic carbon-nanoparticle-based single-label nanobeacons

Shining a nanobeacon: Single-label nanobeacon sensors were constructed by using graphitic carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) and their oxides as energy acceptors (see figure; FRET=fluorescence resonance energy transfer). Excellent sensing performances were achieved with simplified operation and lowered cost.

Multicolor hybrid upconversion nanoparticles and their improved performance as luminescence temperature sensors due to energy transfer

By combining upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye molecules, multicolor emission based on energy transfer is achieved. The complexes can be dissolved in epoxy resin, and self-assembled hemispherical microstructures are fabricated through a hydrophobic effect. A luminescence temperature sensor takes advantage of the high temperature sensitivity of the complexes due to energy transfer.

Lanthanide-doped luminescent nano-bioprobes: from fundamentals to biodetection

Trivalent lanthanide (Ln(3+))-doped luminescent inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), characterized by long-lived luminescence, large Stokes and/or anti-Stokes shifts, narrow emission bands and high photochemical stability, are considered to be promising candidates as luminescent bioprobes in biomedicine and biotechnology. In this feature article, we provide a brief overview of the most recent advances in Ln(3+)-doped luminescent inorganic NPs as sensors, which covers from their chemical and physical fundamentals to biodetection, such as controlled synthesis methodology, surface modification chemistry, optical physics, and their promising applications in diverse bioassays, with an emphasis on heterogeneous and homogeneous in vitro biodetection. Finally, some of the most important emerging trends and future efforts toward this active research field are also proposed.

Lanthanide-doped upconverting phosphors for bioassay and therapy

Lanthanide-doped fluorescent materials have gained increasing attention in recent years due to their unique luminescence properties which have led to their use in wide-ranging fields including those of biological applications. Aside from being used as agents for in vivo imaging, lanthanide-doped fluorescent materials also present many advantages for use in bioassays and therapy. In this review, we summarize the applications of lanthanide-doped up-converting phosphors (UCPs) in protein and gene detection, as well as in photodynamic and gene therapy in recent years, and outline their future potential in biological applications. The current report could serve as a reference for researchers in relevant fields.

Upconversion nanomaterials: synthesis, mechanism, and applications in sensing

Upconversion is an optical process that involves the conversion of lower-energy photons into higher-energy photons. It has been extensively studied since mid-1960s and widely applied in optical devices. Over the past decade, high-quality rare earth-doped upconversion nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized with the rapid development of nanotechnology and are becoming more prominent in biological sciences. The synthesis methods are usually phase-based processes, such as thermal decomposition, hydrothermal reaction, and ionic liquids-based synthesis. The main difference between upconversion nanoparticles and other nanomaterials is that they can emit visible light under near infrared irradiation. The near infrared irradiation leads to low autofluorescence, less scattering and absorption, and deep penetration in biological samples. In this review, the synthesis of upconversion nanoparticles and the mechanisms of upconversion process will be discussed, followed by their applications in different areas, especially in the biological field for biosensing.

Aptamer biosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer from upconverting phosphors to carbon nanoparticles for thrombin detection in human plasma

We presented a new aptamer biosensor for thrombin in this work, which was based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from upconverting phosphors (UCPs) to carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). The poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) functionalized UCPs were covalently tagged with a thrombin aptamer (5'-NH(2)- GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG-3'), which bound to the surface of CNPs through π-π stacking interaction. As a result, the energy donor and acceptor were taken into close proximity, leading to the quenching of fluorescence of UCPs. A maximum fluorescence quenching rate of 89% was acquired under optimized conditions. In the presence of thrombin, which induced the aptamer to form quadruplex structure, the π-π interaction was weakened, and thus, the acceptor was separated from the donor blocking the FRET process. The fluorescence of UCPs was therefore restored in a thrombin concentration-dependent manner, which built the foundation of thrombin quantification. The sensor provided a linear range from 0.5 to 20 nM for thrombin with a detection limit of 0.18 nM in an aqueous buffer. The same linear range was obtained in spiked human serum samples with a slightly higher detection limit (0.25 nM), demonstrating high robustness of the sensor in a complex biological sample matrix. As a practical application, the sensor was used to monitor thrombin level in human plasma with satisfactory results obtained. This is the first time that UCPs and CNPs were employed as a donor-acceptor pair to construct FRET-based biosensors, which utilized both the photophysical merits of UCPs and the superquenching ability of CNPs and thus afforded favorable analytical performances. This work also opened the opportunity to develop biosensors for other targets using this UCPs-CNPs system.

Optical ammonia sensor based on upconverting luminescent nanoparticles

The sensor exploits the phenomenon of upconversion luminescence and is based on (a) the use of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) of the NaYF(4):Yb,Er type that can be excited with 980 nm laser light to give a green and red luminescence and (b) the pH probe phenol red immobilized in a polystyrene matrix. Exposure of the sensor film to ammonia causes a strong increase in the 560 nm absorption of the pH probe which, in turn, causes the green emission of the UCNPs to be screened off. The red emission of the UCNPs, in contrast, remains unaffected by ammonia and can serve as a reference signal. Due to the use of 980 nm as the excitation light source, the optical signal obtained is completely free of background visible luminescence of the sample and of scattered light. This is highly advantageous in the case of sensing ammonia in complex matrixes.

Upconverting phosphors in a dual-parameter LRET-based hybridization assay

Upconverting phosphors (UCPs) are lanthanide-doped sub-micrometer-sized particles, which produce multiple narrow and well-separated anti-Stokes emission bands at visible wavelengths under infrared excitation (980 nm). The advantageous features of UCPs were utilized to construct a dual-parameter, homogeneous sandwich hybridization assay based on a UCP donor and lanthanide resonance energy transfer (LRET). UCPs with two emission bands (540 nm and 653 nm) were exploited together with two appropriate fluorophores as acceptors. The energy transfer excited emissions of the acceptors were measured at 600 nm and 740 nm without any significant interference from each other. The autofluorescence limitation associated with conventional fluorescence was totally avoided as the measurements were carried out at shorter wavelength relative to the excitation. In the sandwich hybridization assay two different single-stranded target-oligonucleotide sequences were detected simultaneously and quantitatively with a dynamic range from 0.03 to 0.4 pmol (corresponding 0.35-5.4 nM). The UCPs enable multiplexed homogeneous LRET-based assay requiring only a single excitation wavelength, which simplifies the detection and extends the applicability of upconversion in bioanalytical measurements.

Photon upconversion in homogeneous fluorescence-based bioanalytical assays

Upconverting phosphors (UCPs) are very attractive reporters for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based bioanalytical assays. The large anti-Stokes shift and capability to convert near-infrared to visible light via sequential absorption of multiple photons enable complete elimination of autofluorescence, which commonly impairs the performance of fluorescence-based assays. UCPs are ideal donors for FRET, because their very narrow-banded emission allows measurement of the sensitized acceptor emission, in principle, without any crosstalk from the donor emission at a wavelength just tens of nanometers from the emission peak of the donor. In addition, acceptor dyes emitting at visible wavelengths are essentially not excited by near-infrared, which further emphasizes the unique potential of upconversion FRET (UC-FRET). These characteristics result in favorable assay performance using detection instrumentation based on epifluorometer configuration and laser diode excitation. Although UC-FRET is a recently emerged technology, it has already been applied in both immunoassays and nucleic acid hybridization assays. The technology is also compatible with optically difficult biological samples, such as whole blood. Significant advances in assay performance are expected using upconverting lanthanide-doped nanocrystals, which are currently under extensive research. UC-FRET, similarly to other fluorescence techniques based on resonance energy transfer, is strongly distance dependent and may have limited applicability, for example in sandwich-type assays for large biomolecules, such as viruses. In this article, we summarize the essentials of UC-FRET, describe its current applications, and outline the expectations for its future potential.