Ultrasensitive antibody-aptamer plasmonic biosensor for malaria biomarker detection in whole blood

Development of plasmonic biosensors combining reliability and ease of use is still a challenge. Gold nanoparticle arrays made by block copolymer micelle nanolithography (BCMN) stand out for their scalability, cost-effectiveness and tunable plasmonic properties, making them ideal substrates for fluorescence enhancement. Here, we describe a plasmon-enhanced fluorescence immunosensor for the specific and ultrasensitive detection of Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH)—a malaria marker—in whole blood. Analyte recognition is realized by oriented antibodies immobilized in a close-packed configuration via the photochemical immobilization technique (PIT), with a top bioreceptor of nucleic acid aptamers recognizing a different surface of PfLDH in a sandwich conformation. The combination of BCMN and PIT enabled maximum control over the nanoparticle size and lattice constant as well as the distance of the fluorophore from the sensing surface. The device achieved a limit of detection smaller than 1 pg/mL (<30 fM) with very high specificity without any sample pretreatment. This limit of detection is several orders of magnitude lower than that found in malaria rapid diagnostic tests or even commercial ELISA kits. Thanks to its overall dimensions, ease of use and high-throughput analysis, the device can be used as a substrate in automated multi-well plate readers and improve the efficiency of conventional fluorescence immunoassays

LSPR-based colorimetric immunosensor for rapid and sensitive 17β-estradiol detection in tap water

We propose a highly sensitive immunosensor based on the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) for 17β-estradiol (E2) quantification in water. E2 molecules are recognized by polyclonal antibodies immobilized onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and act as linkers that cause nanoparticles aggregation. This leads to the change in the optical properties of the solution visible even by naked eyes. The aggregates were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) that provided an accurate assessment of the inter-particle distance. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method applied to a Mie problem like workspace allowed us to describe the optical behaviour of the AuNP aggregates with excellent agreement between the experimental and numerical results. The limit of detection (LOD), without any preconcentration step, is 3 pg/mL (11 pM), whereas the detection range extends over five decades up to 105 pg/mL. The proposed E2 immunosensor was tested in tap water, where no significant cross-reaction signal was detected by similar molecules (testosterone, progesterone, estrone and estriol). The device described here represents a significant improvement of low E2 levels determination in terms of affordability, time and measuring simplicity, making it suitable for environmental applications