Enhanced fluorescent immunoassays on silver fractal-like structures

Spontaneous growth of silver nanotrees dominated with (111) crystalline faces on monolithic activated carbon

An environmentally friendly wet chemistry approach is used to synthesize silver nanotrees with a single step.

Sandwich type plasmonic platform for MEF using silver fractals

In this report, we describe a plasmonic platform with silver fractals for metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) measurements. When a dye containing surface was brought into contact with silver fractals, a significantly enhanced fluorescence signal from the dye was observed. Fluorescence enhancement was studied with the N-methyl-azadioxatriangulenium chloride salt (Me-ADOTA·Cl) in PVA films made from 0.2% PVA (w/v) solution spin-coated on a clean glass coverslip. The Plasmonic Platforms (PP) were assembled by pressing together silver fractals on one glass slide and a separate glass coverslip spin-coated with a uniform Me-ADOTA·Cl in PVA film. In addition, we also tested ADOTA labeled human serum albumin (HSA) deposited on a glass slide for potential PP bioassay applications. Using the new PP, we could achieve more than a 20-fold fluorescence enhancement (bright spots) accompanied by a decrease in the fluorescence lifetime. The experimental results were used to calculate the extinction (excitation) enhancement factor (GA) and fluorescence radiative rate enhancements factor (GF). No change in emission spectrum was observed for a dye with or without contact with fractals. Our studies indicate that this type of PP can be a convenient approach for constructing assays utilizing metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) without the need for depositing the material directly on metal structures platforms.

Preparation of plasmonic platforms of silver wires on gold mirrors and their application to surface enhanced fluorescence

In this report we describe a preparation of silver wires (SWs) on gold mirrors and its application to surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) using a new methodology. Silica protected gold mirrors were drop-coated with a solution of silver triangular nanoprisms. The triangular nanoprisms were slowly air-dried to get silver wires that self-assembled on the gold mirrors. Fluorescence enhancement was studied using methyl azadioxatriangulenium chloride (Me-ADOTA · Cl) dye in PVA spin-coated on a clean glass coverslip. New Plasmonic Platforms (PPs) were assembled by placing a mirror with SWs in contact with a glass coverslip spin-coated with a uniform Me-ADOTA · Cl film. It was shown that surface enhanced fluorescence is a real phenomenon, not just an enhancement of the fluorescence signal due to an accumulation of the fluorophore on rough nanostructure surfaces. The average fluorescence enhancement was found to be about 15-fold. The lifetime of Me-ADOTA · Cl dye was significantly reduced (∼ 4 times) in the presence of SWs. Moreover, fluorescence enhancement and lifetime did not show any dependence on the excitation light polarization.

Exploiting fluorescence for multiplex immunoassays on protein microarrays

Protein microarray technology is becoming the method of choice for identifying protein interaction partners, detecting specific proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, or for characterizing protein interactions and serum antibodies in a massively parallel manner. Availability of the well-established instrumentation of DNA arrays and development of new fluorescent detection instruments promoted the spread of this technique. Fluorescent detection has the advantage of high sensitivity, specificity, simplicity and wide dynamic range required by most measurements. Fluorescence through specifically designed probes and an increasing variety of detection modes offers an excellent tool for such microarray platforms. Measuring for example the level of antibodies, their isotypes and/or antigen specificity simultaneously can offer more complex and comprehensive information about the investigated biological phenomenon, especially if we take into consideration that hundreds of samples can be measured in a single assay. Not only body fluids, but also cell lysates, extracted cellular components, and intact living cells can be analyzed on protein arrays for monitoring functional responses to printed samples on the surface. As a rapidly evolving area, protein microarray technology offers a great bulk of information and new depth of knowledge. These are the features that endow protein arrays with wide applicability and robust sample analyzing capability. On the whole, protein arrays are emerging new tools not just in proteomics, but glycomics, lipidomics, and are also important for immunological research. In this review we attempt to summarize the technical aspects of planar fluorescent microarray technology along with the description of its main immunological applications.

Controllable metal-enhanced fluorescence in organized films and colloidal system

In recent years, considerable efforts have been devoted to better understand the unique emission properties of fluorophores enhanced by the localized surface plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles (NPs), due to the widespread applications of fluorescence techniques. It is demonstrated by experiment and theoretical calculation that the enhancement efficiency strongly depends on the morphology of the metal NPs, the spectral overlap between metal and fluorophores, the separation distance between them, and other factors. Among these aspects to be considered are suitable spacer material and assembling methods to control the spatial arrangement of plasmonic NPs and fluorophore with proper optical properties and interactions. In this contribution, we provide a brief overview on recent progress of metal-enhanced fluorescence in organized films and colloidal systems.

A straightforward immunoassay applicable to a wide range of antibodies based on surface enhanced fluorescence

A straightforward immunoassay based on surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) has been demonstrated using a fluorescent immune substrate and antibody functionalized-silver nanoparticles. Unlike the conventional SEF-based immunoassay, which usually uses the dye-labeled antibodies and the metallic nanostructured-substrates, the presented immune system does not need the antibodies to be labeled with dye molecules. Thus, this immunoassay can be easily applied to the detection of a wide range of target antigens, which is of great importance for its practical application. The experimental results show that this immunoassay has a good specificity as well as the capacity of quantitative detection. Basically, the surface density of the immuno-adsorbed silver nanoparticles increases with the increased amount of target antigens, resulting in a fluorescence enhancement up to around 7 fold. The dose-responsive performance of the immunoassay has been investigated and the limit of detection (LOD) is 1 ng/mL. Due to its simple preparation method and the wide range of detectable antigens, this presented immunoassay is expected to be helpful for extending the SEF-based application.

Metal-enhanced immunoassays

The surface-confined assay format is one of the most convenient detection formats used in many immunoassays. Fluorescence emission from monolayers of dyes requires a strong excitation and good detection system. Such samples are susceptible to artifacts due to background fluorescence from substrates. We demonstrate that using silver nanostructures deposited on the slide substrate can significantly enhance measured fluorescence, reduce unwanted background and increase photostability of the used probes. Using thin layers of polymer doped with fluorescein, we tested two nanostructures--silver island films (SIFs) deposited on glass slides and self-assembled colloidal structures (SACS) deposited on thin silver film. The SACS surfaces show extraordinary fluorescence enhancements: over 100-folds in hot spots. We applied these surfaces for enhanced Alexa488 model immunoassay.

Plasmonic approach to enhanced fluorescence for applications in biotechnology and the life sciences

One of the most rapidly growing areas of physics and nanotechnology is concerned with plasmonic effects on the nanometer scale; these have applications in sensing and imaging technologies. Nanoplasmonic colloids such as Ag and Au have been attracting active interest, and there has been a recent explosion in the use of these metallic nanostructures to modify the spectral properties of fluorophores favorably and to enhance the fluorescence emission intensity. In this feature article, we summarize our work over a range of nanoplasmonics-assisted biological applications such as flow cytometry, immunoassays, cell imaging and bioassays where we use custom-designed plasmonic nanostructures (Ag and Au) to enhance fluorescence signatures. This fluorophore-metal effect offers unique advantages in providing improved photostability and enhanced fluorescence signals. We discuss the plasmonic enhancement of lanthanide fluorophores whose long and microsecond lifetimes offer the advantage of background-free fluorescence detection, but low photon cycling rates lead to poor brightness. We also show that plasmonic colloids are capable of enhancing the emission of fluorescent nanoparticles, including upconverting nanocrystals and lanthanide nanocomposites.

Silicon nanopillars for field-enhanced surface spectroscopy

Silicon nanowire and nanopillar structures have drawn increased attention in recent years due in part to their unique optical properties. Herein, electron beam lithography combined with reactive-ion etching is used to reproducibly create individual silicon nanopillars of various sizes, shapes, and heights. Finite difference time domain analysis predicts local field intensity enhancements in the vicinity of appropriately sized and coaxially illuminated silicon nanopillars of approximately 2 orders of magnitude. While this level of enhancement is modest when compared to plasmonic systems, the unique advantage of the silicon nanopillar resonators is that they enhance optical fields in substantially larger volumes. By analyzing experimentally measured strength of the silicon Raman phonon line (500 cm(-1)), it was determined that nanopillars produced local field enhancements that are consistent with these predictions. Additionally, we demonstrate that a thin layer of Zn phthalocyanine on the nanopillar surface with a total amount of <30 attomoles produced prominent Raman spectra, yielding enhancement factors (EFs) better than 2 orders of magnitude. Finally, silicon nanopillars of cylindrical and elliptical shapes were labeled with different fluorophors and evaluated for their surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) capability. The EFs derived from analysis of the acquired fluorescence microscopy images indicate that silicon nanopillar structures can provide enhancements comparable or even stronger than those typically achieved using plasmonic SEF structures without the limitations of the metal-based substrates, such as fluorescence quenching and an insufficiently large probe volume. It is anticipated that dense arrays of silicon nanopillars will enable SEF assays with extremely high sensitivity, while a broader impact of the reported phenomena is anticipated in photovoltaics, subwavelength light focusing, and fundamental nanophotonics.

Spatially selective photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence and application to background reduction for biomolecule detection assays

By combining photonic crystal label-free biosensor imaging with photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence, it is possible to selectively enhance the fluorescence emission from regions of the PC surface based upon the density of immobilized capture molecules. A label-free image of the capture molecules enables determination of optimal coupling conditions of the laser used for fluorescence imaging of the photonic crystal surface on a pixel-by-pixel basis, allowing maximization of fluorescence enhancement factor from regions incorporating a biomolecule capture spot and minimization of background autofluorescence from areas between capture spots. This capability significantly improves the contrast of enhanced fluorescent images, and when applied to an antibody protein microarray, provides a substantial advantage over conventional fluorescence microscopy. Using the new approach, we demonstrate detection limits as low as 0.97 pg/ml for a representative protein biomarker in buffer.

Seeded growth of two-dimensional dendritic gold nanostructures

We show that seeded growth can be applied to creating two-dimensional (2D) dendritic Au nanostructures on sample grids, which can be directly characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 2D synthesis of highly consistent structures offers a novel mechanistic perspective on the aggregation of colloidal Au nanocrystals on a surface.

Template-assisted Synthesis of Polymer - Li Composites with Fractal Patterns

A facile route for the synthesis of polymer–lithium halide composites with fractal patterns ranging from the nano- to microscale has been developed by employing a two-step template-assisted approach at room temperature. First, polydimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) is synthesized through the controlled polymerization of the monomers inside the interlayers of montmorillonite (MMT). Subsequently, the PDDA-MMT is used as a template to react with LiCl/THF solution. The polymer segments were separated from the MMT interlayer space by employing a reverse ion-exchange process. It was found that the morphology of the fractal patterns can be controlled by varying the polymerization concentration of the monomer. It is concluded that the limited polymerization of PDDA and the reverse ion-exchange process produce the non-equilibrium conditions that serve as the critical factors in forming the fractal patterns. The mechanism for the formation of the fractal structure is proposed and discussed in detail.

All-optical patterning of Au nanoparticles on surfaces using optical traps

The fabrication of nanoscale devices would be greatly enhanced by "nanomanipulators" that can position single and few objects rapidly with nanometer precision and without mechanical damage. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and precision of an optical laser tweezer, or optical trap, approach to place single gold (Au) nanoparticles on surfaces with high precision (approximately 100 nm standard deviation). The error in the deposition process is rather small but is determined to be larger than the thermal fluctuations of single nanoparticles within the optical trap. Furthermore, areas of tens of square micrometers could be patterned in a matter of minutes. Since the method does not rely on lithography, scanning probes or a specialized surface, it is versatile and compatible with a variety of systems. We discuss active feedback methods to improve positioning accuracy and the potential for multiplexing and automation.

Improved detectability and signal strength for rotating phase fluorescence immunoassays through image processing

Fluorescence immunoassays based on rotating solid phase have shown promise of lowered detection limits, among other advantages. However, intrinsic background distortion effects have limited their utility. Here, novel image processing strategies are used to minimize these effects and improve the estimate of concentration and lower the detection limit. This initial demonstration of a new processing capability is performed on data for a protein, myoglobin, which is a biomarker for acute myocardial infarction. For these data, compared with published results, the detection limit is improved by a factor of approximately one hundred (to 700 fM), which is competitive with or better than other immunoassay strategies (ELISA, for example) that are fully developed. This work suggests that image and video processing technologies can provide a valuable alternative approach to biochemical detection and concentration estimation.

Plasmonic platforms of self-assembled silver nanostructures in application to fluorescence

Fluorescence intensity changes were investigated theoretically and experimentally using self-assembled colloidal structures on silver semitransparent mirrors. Using a simplified quasi-static model and finite element method, we demonstrate that near-field interactions of metallic nanostructures with a continuous metallic surface create conditions that produce enormously enhanced surface plasmon resonances. The results were used to explain the observed enhancements and determine the optimal conditions for the experiment. The theoretical parts of the studies are supported with reports on detailed emission intensity changes which provided multiple fluorescence hot spots with 2-3 orders of enhancements. We study two kinds of the fluorophores: dye molecules and fluorescent nanospheres characterized with similar spectral emission regions. Using a lifetime-resolved fluorescence/reflection confocal microscopy technique, we find that the largest rate for enhancement (~1000-fold) comes from localized areas of silver nanostructures.

Molecular fluorescence enhancement on fractal-like structures

In this report we discuss strong fluorescence enhancements on electrochemically grown silver nanostructures examined through fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Silver fractal-like nanostructures were deposited on three different substrates: glass, plastic, and silicon. For all of the surfaces the same dye was tested, DyLight 649, deposited in the form of a model immunoassay through excitation from a 635 nm pulsed solid-state laser. The brightness improvement in hot spots exceeded 300 fold, which is about two times higher than was observed previously on similar surfaces. The strongest enhancements correspond to the shortest lifetimes, indicating a strong interaction between excited molecules and silver nanostructures. Additionally, the photostability of the fluorescence dye was dramatically increased in the presence of electrochemically deposited silver nanostructures. The production of silver fractals is easy, very controllable, and can be applied to any surface. We therefore believe that silver fractal-like nanostructures can be used successfully in ultrasensitive assays and fluorophore trace detection.

Recent advances in rapid and ultrasensitive biosensors for infectious agents: lesson from Bacillus anthracis diagnostic sensors

Here, we review the cumulative efforts to develop rapid and ultrasensitive diagnostic systems, especially for the infectious agent, Bacillus anthracis, as a model system. This Minireview focuses on demonstrating the features of various probes for target molecule detection and recent methods of signal generation within the biosensors. Also, we discuss the possibility of using peptides as next-generation probe molecules.

Nanostructured silver-based surfaces: new emergent methodologies for an easy detection of analytes

In this work, we describe how to realize a new sensing platform for an easy and fast detection of analytes. In particular, we utilized enhanced fluorescence emission on silver island films (SIFs) coupled to the total internal reflection fluorescence mode (TIRF) to develop a new assay format for the detection of target analytes. Here, as an example, we report on the detection of the toxic peptides present in gliadin (Gli). Our assay was performed as follows: (1) gliadin was first captured on surfaces coated with anti-Gli antibodies; (2) the surfaces were then incubated with fluorophore-labeled anti-Gli antibodies; (3) the signal from the fluorophore-labeled anti-Gli antibody bound to the antigen was detected by TIRF. The system was examined on glass surfaces and on SIFs. We observed a relevant enhancement of the signal from SIFs compared to the signal from the glass substrate not modified with a SIF. In addition, the estimated detection limit (EDL) of our methodology was 60 ng/mL (or lower). This limit is therefore lower than the clinical cut-off for Gli presence in food for celiac patients. The advantage of our method is a reduced number of testing steps, which allows for easy detection of residual toxic peptides in food labeled as gluten free. The proposed technology can be easily expanded to the determination of different target analytes.

Application of photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence to a cytokine immunoassay

Photonic crystal surfaces are demonstrated as a means for enhancing the detection sensitivity and resolution for assays that use a fluorescent tag to quantify the concentration of an analyte protein molecule in a liquid test sample. Computer modeling of the spatial distribution of resonantly coupled electromagnetic fields on the photonic crystal surface are used to estimate the magnitude of enhancement factor compared to performing the same fluorescent assay on a plain glass surface, and the photonic crystal structure is fabricated and tested to experimentally verify the performance using a sandwich immunoassay for the protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha). The demonstrated photonic crystal fabrication method utilizes a nanoreplica molding technique that allows for large-area inexpensive fabrication of the structure in a format that is compatible with confocal microarray laser scanners. The signal-to-noise ratio for fluorescent spots on the photonic crystal is increased by at least 5-fold relative to the glass slide, allowing a TNF-alpha concentration of 1.6 pg/mL to be distinguished from noise on a photonic crystal surface. In addition, the minimum quantitative limit of detection on the photonic crystal surface is one-third the limit on the glass slide--a decrease from 18 to 6 pg/mL. The increased performance of the immunoassay allows for more accurate quantitation of physiologically relevant concentrations of TNF-alpha in a protein microarray format that can be expanded to multiple cytokines.

A detection instrument for enhanced-fluorescence and label-free imaging on photonic crystal surfaces

We report on the design and demonstration of an optical imaging system capable of exciting surface-bound fluorophores within the resonant evanescent electric field of a photonic crystal surface and gathering fluorescence emission that is directed toward the imaging objective by the photonic crystal. The system also has the ability to quantify shifts in the local resonance angle induced by the adsorption of biomolecules on the photonic crystal surface for label-free biomolecular imaging. With these two capabilities combined within a single detection system, we demonstrate label-free images self-registered to enhanced fluorescence images with 328x more sensitive fluorescence detection relative to a glass surface. This technique is applied to a DNA microarray where label-free quantification of immobilized capture DNA enables improved quality control and subsequent enhanced fluorescence detection of dye-tagged hybridized DNA yields 3x more genes to be detected versus commercially available microarray substrates.

Enhanced Fluorescence Emission of Me-ADOTA by Self-Assembled Silver Nanoparticles on a Gold Film

We report a multi-fold enhancement of the fluorescence of methyl-azadioxatriangulenium chloride (Me-ADOTA*Cl) in PVA deposited on a 50 nm thick gold mirror carrying an evaporation induced self-assembly of colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag-SACs). The average measured increase in fluorescence emission of about 50-fold is accompanied by hot spots with a local enhancement in brigthness close to 200. The long lifetime of the dye allows for the first direct determination of the correlation between the enhancement of emission intensity and the decrease in fluorescence lifetime. The Ag-SACs surface preparation and observed enhancements are highly reproducible. We believe that these robust plasmonic surfaces will find use in sensing platforms for ultrasensitive detection.

Simultaneous and sensitive determination of multiplex chemical residues based on multicolor quantum dot probes

Biotinylated denatured bovine serum albumin (Bt-dBSA)-coated cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dot (QD) conjugates were prepared and used to develop the multiplexed fluoroimmunoassay for the simultaneous determination of five chemical residues. An immune complex was formed using avidin as the bridge to link the Bt-dBSA-QDs with the antibodies. Primarily, individual quantitative determinations of five representative chemical residues were carried out based on the different emission properties of the QDs. Five antibodies were then conjugated with the corresponding QDs to establish the indirect competition fluorescent-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-FLISA) for the simultaneous detection of five chemicals in one well of a microplate. The linear range for dexamethason (DEX) was from 0.33 microg/kg to 10 microg/kg, 0.28 microg/kg to 10 microg/kg for gentamicin (GM), 0.16 microg/kg to 25 microg/kg for clonazepam (CZP), 0.17 microg/kg to 10 microg/kg for medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and 0.32 microg/kg to 25 microg/kg for ceftiofur (CEF), respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) for the simultaneous determination of DEX, GM, CZP, MPA and CEF were as low as 0.13 microg/kg, 0.16 microg/kg, 0.07 microg/kg, 0.06 microg/kg and 0.14 microg/kg, respectively. This detection method was used to analyze samples of pork muscle and the recoveries ranged from 61.3% to 80.3% for DEX and from 74.0% to 87.2% for MPA. Further more, good correlation between the novel ic-FLISA and traditional ELISA was demonstrated during the determination of DEX and MPA residues in real samples. The QD-based protocol described here is less time consuming than the classical method and it may be sufficiently flexible to be used in other systems for the simultaneous multicolor detection of the drugs.

Metal Enhanced Fluorescence on Silicon Wafer Substrates

We report on the fluorescence enhancement induced by silver island film (SIF) deposited on a silicon wafer. The model immunoassay was studied on silvered and unsilvered wafers. The fluorescence brightness of Rhodamine Red X increased about 300% on the SIF, while the lifetime was reduced by several fold and the photostability increased substantially. We discuss potential uses of silicon wafer substrates in multiplex assays in which the fluorescence is enhanced due to the SIF, and the multiplexing is achieved by using micro transponders.