Chemiluminescence lateral flow immunoassay based on Pt nanoparticle with peroxidase activity

A lateral flow immunoassay (LF-immunoassay) with an enhanced sensitivity and thermostability was developed by using Pt nanoparticles with a peroxidase activity. The Pt nanoparticles were synthesized by citrate reduction method, and the peroxidase activity of Pt nanoparticles was optimized by adjusting reaction conditions. The peroxidase activity was estimated by using Michaelis–Menten kinetics model with TMB as a chromogenic substrate. The kinetics parameters of K_M and V_max were calculated and compared with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The thermal stability of the Pt nanoparticles was compared with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) according to the storage temperature and long-term storage period. The feasibility of lateral flow immunoassay with a chemiluminescent signal band was demonstrated by the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as a model analyte, and the sensitivity was determined to be improved by as much as 1000-fold compared to the conventional rapid test based on colored gold-colloids.     

Development of a chemiluminescence-based quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for on-field detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

Simple, rapid and highly sensitive assays, possibly allowing on-site analysis, are required in the security and forensic fields or to obtain early signs of environmental pollution. Several bioanalytical methods and biosensors based on portable devices have been developed for this purpose. Among them, Lateral Flow ImmunoAssays (LFIAs) offer the advantages of rapidity and ease of use and, thanks to the high specificity of antigen–antibody binding, allow greatly simplifying and reducing sample pre-analytical treatments. However, LFIAs usually employ colloidal gold or latex beads as labels and they rely on the formation of colored bands visible by the naked eye. With this assay format, only qualitative or semi-quantitative information can be obtained and low sensitivity is achieved. Recently, the use of enzyme-catalyzed chemiluminescence detection in LFIA has been proposed to overcome these problems. In this work, we describe the development of a quantitative CL-LFIA assay for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in real samples. Thanks to the use of a portable imaging device for CL signal measurement based on a thermoelectrically cooled CCD camera, the analysis could be performed directly on-field. A limit of detection of 0.2 μg mL⁻¹ TNT was obtained, which is five times lower than that obtained with a previously described colloidal gold-based LFIA developed employing the same immunoreagents. The dynamic range of the assay extended up to 5 μg mL⁻¹ TNT and recoveries ranging from 97% to 111% were obtained in the analysis of real samples (post blast residues obtained from controlled explosion).     

A new quality control method for lateral flow assay

We proposed a lateral flow assay (LFA) based on internal quality control microspheres to realize the accurate diagnosis of HbA1c in human body. This method can improve the precision and accuracy of HbA1c detection.     

Rapid and sensitive lateral flow immunoassay method for determining alpha fetoprotein in serum using europium (III) chelate microparticles-based lateral flow test strips

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a primary marker for many diseases including various cancers, is important in clinical tumor diagnosis and antenatal screening. Most immunoassays provide high sensitivity and accuracy for determining AFP, but they are expensive, often complex, time-consuming procedures. A simple and rapid point-of-care system that integrates Eu (III) chelate microparticles with lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) has been developed to determine AFP in serum with an assay time of 15 min. The approach is based on a sandwich immunoassay performed on lateral flow test strips. A fluorescence strip reader was used to measure the fluorescence peak heights of the test line (H_T) and the control line (H_C); the H_T/H_C ratio was used for quantitation. The Eu (III) chelate microparticles-based LFIA assay exhibited a wide linear range (1.0–1000 IU mL⁻¹) for AFP with a low limit of detection (0.1 IU mL⁻¹) based on 5ul of serum. Satisfactory specificity and accuracy were demonstrated and the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV) for AFP were both <10%. Furthermore, in the analysis of human serum samples, excellent correlation (n = 284, r = 0.9860, p < 0.0001) was obtained between the proposed method and a commercially available CLIA kit. Results indicated that the Eu (III) chelate microparticles-based LFIA system provided a rapid, sensitive and reliable method for determining AFP in serum, indicating that it would be suitable for development in point-of-care testing.     

Development of a competitive lateral flow immunoassay for progesterone: influence of coating conjugates and buffer components

Several aspects of the development of competitive lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are described. The quantitation of progesterone is taken as an example. The LFIA format consisted of a nitrocellulose membrane spotted with various progesterone conjugates as the test line. A mixture of primary antibody and secondary antibody adsorbed to colloidal carbon was used for signal generation. A digital scanner and dedicated software were used to quantitate the response. A reappraisal of the checkerboard titration, often used in the optimisation of immunoassays, is discussed. Surprisingly, the highest sensitivity of the LFIA format (IC₅₀ of 0.6 μg L⁻¹ progesterone in buffer) was achieved by using a high coating concentration of the analyte–protein conjugate and a high dilution of the antibody solution. Immediate addition of all reagents in LFIA was superior to premixing the components and allowing prereaction. Of several blocking agents tested bovine serum albumin was superior in performance, whereas the combination of ovalbumin and progesterone substantially influenced test results.     

Fluorescence‐based lateral flow assays for rapid oral fluid roadside detection of cannabis use

With the recent worldwide changes in the legalization of marijuana, there is a significant need for rapid, roadside screening test for driving under the influence of drugs. A robust, sensitive, lateral flow assay has been developed to detect recent use via oral‐fluid testing for Δ⁹‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This proof‐of‐concept assay uses a fluorescent‐based immunoassay detection of polymeric beads, conjugated to antibodies against native THC. The fluorescent technique allows for significantly lower limits of detection and higher precision determination of recent marijuana use without the use of urine or blood sampling—thus allowing for roadside identification. Detection levels of 0.01 ng/mL were distinguished from background and the lower limit of quantification was determined to approach 1 ng/mL.     

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy for illuminating complex systems

Over the years, the emissive characteristics (spectral, temporal, and polarization) of fluorophores have been widely used to probe a wide variety of systems. Fluorescence lifetime and rotational reorientation time measurements, in particular, offer a means to elucidate key details about complex systems. Further, because fluorescence occurs on the nanosecond (10⁻⁹ s) timescale, competing or perturbing kinetic processes like collisional quenching, solvent relaxation, energy transfer, and rotational reorientation can affect the fluorescence and hence be quantified. Thus, a carefully chosen and “placed” fluorophore can serve as an reporter on a wide range of nanosecond or faster events. This contribution is divided into three sections. The Theory section discusses time-resolved anisotropy and intensity decay kinetics (time and frequency domains), pump–probe spectroscopy, and up-conversion. The second section describes time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) and multifrequency phase-modulation fluorescence instruments. The final section is divided into subsections on the use of time-resolved fluorescence: (1) to study solvation dynamics, biochemical systems, polymer photophysics, and organized media; (2) as a tool in the separation sciences, microscopy, and sensing; and (3) coupled with multiphoton excitation strategies.     

时间分辨荧光免疫分析方法检测烟草中菌核净残留

建立了简便、灵敏地检测烟草中菌核净残留的时间分辨荧光免疫分析方法(TRFIA),及配套的无净化的快速前处理技术。采用镧系元素螯合物Eu-N1标记亲和纯化后的羊抗兔IgG示踪抗体。采用间接竞争TRFIA法建立了菌核净标准抑制曲线,方法的检出限I10为2.0μg/L;抑制终浓度I50为32.00μg/L;检测线性范围为4～128μg/L。考察了丙酮提取后33%,10%和1%的烟草基质对菌核净-TRFIA分析方法的影响,表明在1%烟叶基质条件下,建立的菌核净的抑制曲线的线性范围与标准抑制曲线趋于平行,确定烟草样品的前处理稀释倍数为100倍,计算得到基质影响因子(Im)为17.1。对烟叶样品中添加1,7和24mg/L的菌核净标样,连续3d的添加回收实验表明,方法的回收率为73%～128%,相对标准标准偏差(RSD)在4.3%～13.2%之间;烟草中菌核净的实际最低检出限为1mg/L。本方法可望用于烟草中菌核净残留的快速筛选检测。     

Development of fluorescence based flow immunoassays utilising restricted access columns

Summary The development of high-speed flow immunoassay techniques is described. The principles are based on heterogeneous flow immunoassay interactions. High sample throughput can be used for screening small analytes in a number of biological matrices originating from samples of water from environmentally polluted areas, or biological fluids such as urine and plasma. The immunochemical detection principle is based on chromatographic separation of the immunocomplex formed (AbAg or AbAg^*) and the free antigen (Ag) by a restricted access (RA) column, utilising size-exclusion and reversed phase mechanisms. A fluorescein-labelled analyte (Ag^*) was used in the competitive assay format with fluorescence detection. Sample throughput was 80 h⁻¹ and detection limits 1.4 nM (300pgml⁻¹) for atrazine and 2.3 nM (500 pg ml⁻¹) for the sum of triazines. Analyses could be performed at a sample throughput of 400 6 h⁻¹ shift. Basic immunoaffinity interactions of a number of immunoreagents, using fluorescence polarisation were studied and outlined both for triazines and for 2,4-D. Structural variations in tracer synthesis confirmed that this is an important part in the design and optimisation of flow immuno methodologies.     

Development of a competitive liposome-based lateral flow assay for the rapid detection of the allergenic peanut protein Ara h1

A competitive lateral flow assay for detecting the major peanut allergen, Ara h1, has been developed. The detector reagents are Ara h1-tagged liposomes, and the capture reagents are anti-Ara h1 polyclonal antibodies. Two types of rabbit polyclonal antibodies were raised either against the entire Ara h1 molecules (anti-Ara h1 Ab) or against an immunodominant epitope on Ara h1 (anti-peptide Ab). All of them reacted specifically with Ara h1 in Western Blot against crude peanut proteins. Moreover, the anti-Ara h1 Ab was chosen for this assay development because of its highest immunoactivity to Ara h1-tagged liposomes in the lateral flow assay. The calculated limit of detection (LOD) of this assay is 0.45 g mL^–1 of Ara h1 with a dynamic range between 0.1 and 10 g mL^–1 of Ara h1 in buffer. Additionally, the visually determined detection range is from 1 to 10 g mL^–1 of Ara h1 in buffer. Results using this assay can be obtained within 30 min without the need of sophisticated equipment or techniques; therefore, this lateral flow assay has the potential to be a cost-effective, fast, simple, and sensitive method for on-site screening of peanut allergens.     

Time-resolved fluorescence aptamer-based sandwich assay for thrombin detection

In the present study, the authors report a novel sensitive method for the detection of thrombin using time-resolved fluorescence sensing platform based on two different thrombin aptamers. The thrombin 15-mer aptamer as a capture probe was covalently attached to the surface of glass slide, and the thrombin 29-mer aptamer was fluorescently labeled as a detection probe. A bifunctional europium complex was used as the fluorescent label. The introduction of thrombin triggers the two different thrombin aptamers and thrombin to form a sandwich structure. The fluorescence intensity is proportional to the thrombin concentration. The present sensing system could provide both a wide linear dynamic range and a low detection limit. The proposed sensing system also presented satisfactory specificity and selectivity. Results showed that thrombin was retained at the aptamer-modified glass surface while nonspecific proteins were removed by rinsing with buffer solution. This approach successfully showed the suitability of aptamers as low molecular weight receptors on glass slides for sensitive and specific protein detection.     

An estimated quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for determination of artesunate using monoclonal antibody

There have been reports of fake artesunate (ART), which has led to deaths from untreated malaria in South East Asia. To rapidly screen for fake and adulterated ART products in the drug market, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on a colloidal gold–monoclonal antibody probe for detection of ART within samples was developed. With this method, the calibration curve for ART was determined by the intensity ratio of the test and control bands at various ART concentrations. The linearity range was 12.5–200 μg/ml of ART. Samples were tested by the developed LFIA and can be calculated for ART contents. The levels of ART in the samples were also confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results of the two methods were in good conformance. The proposed LFIA was demonstrated to be a simple and rapid analytical method for detecting ART in the pharmaceutical formulation.     

Silanized quantum dots as labels in lateral flow test strips for C-reactive protein

The paper describes the first use of silanized semiconductor core-shell quantum dots as fluorescent labels for macromolecule, C-reactive protein determination in blood plasma. The controlled synthesis of CdSe cores, with successive shells of CdS, CdZnS, ZnS and coating with transparent, stable, and inert silica shell, provides quantum dots with a narrow emission band, high quantum yield, and prolonged signal stability. Finally, the quantum dots were conjugated with specific antibodies via carboxylic groups on the silica surface. The method was further used for the immunochromatographic assay of C-reactive protein, a diagnostically important inflammatory biomarker. Assays with both the fluorescent QDs and a widely used colloidal gold label were developed in parallel and compared. The silanized quantum dots provide a more sensitive assay with a detection limit of 1?ng/mL for C-reactive protein in standard solutions, whereas the common assay has a detection limit of 10?ng/mL. The possibility of quantitative evaluation of analyte content by a portable device was demonstrated; the accuracy of the measurements was in the range of 5%–10%. The tests were used to determine C-reactive proteins in human plasma samples. The selected optimized protocol for these samples is based on a 4-fold dilution. The final working range of the assay, 4–1,200?ng/mL, covers practically all important interval of C-reactive protein values for the characterization of acute, chronic, and local inflammatory processes. Due to their high physical stability and inertness as well as intense, stable, and reproducible fluorescence, silanized quantum dots may be applied for high-sensitive assays for different analytes.     

Europium(III)-chelates embedded in nanoparticles are protected from interfering compounds present in assay media

Lanthanide chelates are excellent labels in ligand binding assays due to their long lifetime fluorescence, which enables efficient background reduction using time-resolved measurement. In separation-free homogeneous assays, however, some compounds in the sample may cause quenching of the lanthanide fluorescence and extra steps are required before these samples can be measured. In this study we have evaluated whether europium chelates packed inside a polystyrene nanoparticle are better protected from the environment than individual Eu(III)-chelates, and do these particles have higher tolerance against known interfering compounds (bivalent metal ions and variation of pH). We also tested whether metal ions had any effect on a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based detection of a bioaffinity binding reaction. The presence of metal ions or variation of pH did not affect the fluorescence of the Eu(III)-chelate dyed nanoparticles, while significant decrease of the fluorescence was detected with a 9-dentate Eu(III)-chelate. Metal ions also decreased the fluorescence lifetime of the 9-dentate Eu(III)-chelate from 0.960 to 0.050 ms. Coloured metal ions caused a minor decrease in sensitised emission generated by FRET when Eu(III)-chelate dyed nanoparticles were used as donor labels. The decreased signal was due to the absorption of the sensitised emission by the coloured metal ions, since the metal ions had no effect on the lifetime of the sensitised emission. Thus the Eu(III)-chelate dyed nanoparticles are preferred labels in homogeneous bioaffinity assays, when interfering compounds are known to be present.     

Development of a novel terbium(III) chelate-based luminescent probe for highly sensitive time-resolved luminescence detection of hydroxyl radical

Time-resolved (or time-gated) luminescence detection technique using lanthanide chelates as luminescent probes is a widely used and highly sensitive method for the biological applications. The developments of various functional lanthanide probes that can selectively recognize the biological targets are the essential objective of the technique. In this work, a unique Tb³⁺ chelate-based luminescent probe, N,N,N¹,N¹-[2,6-bis(3′-aminomethyl-1′-pyrazolyl)-4-(p-aminophenoxy)methylene-pyridine] tetrakis(acetate)-Tb³⁺(BMPTA-Tb³⁺), has been designed and synthesized for highly selective and sensitive time-resolved luminescence detection of one highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydroxyl radical (OH). The probe is almost non-luminescent, and can selectively react with hydroxyl radical to afford a highly luminescent Tb³⁺ chelate, N,N,N¹,N¹-[2,6-bis(3′-aminomethyl-1′-pyrazolyl)-4-hydroxymethyl-pyridine] tetrakis(acetate)-Tb³⁺ (BHTA-Tb³⁺), accompanied by a 49-fold increase in luminescence quantum yield with a long luminescence lifetime (2.76 ms). The luminescence response of the probe to hydroxyl radical is highly selective and insensitive to pH in the physiological pH range. For loading the probe into the living cells, the acetoxymethyl ester of BMPTA-Tb³⁺ was synthesized and used for the HeLa cell loading. Based on this probe, a background-free time-resolved luminescence imaging method for detecting hydroxyl radical in living cells was successfully established.     

菊酯类农药广谱型免疫层析试纸条的研究及应用

建立了菊酯类农药广谱型免疫层析检测方法,可同时检测水果、蔬菜中12种甲氰菊酯、溴氰菊酯、氯氰菊酯、三氟氯氰菊酯农药残留。以粒径20 nm的胶体金标记羊抗小鼠IgG抗体于金标垫上,分别固定包被原(检测线,T线)、兔抗山羊 IgG 抗体(质控线, C 线)于硝酸纤维素膜( NC 膜)上,与吸水垫及聚氯乙烯( PVC)底板组合成层析试纸条。10 g样品经乙腈提取,PBS稀释4倍,取100μL与菊酯类农药的单克隆抗体混合后,直接用于试纸条检测。结果表明,试纸条对甲氰菊酯、溴氰菊酯、氯氰菊酯、三氟氯氰菊酯农药的裸眼观察检测灵敏度为0.5,5.0,5.0和5.0μg/mL,检测时长为8~10 min,采用QuEChERS方法,方法检测灵敏度可提高16倍。对蔬菜和水果的方法验证表明,除辣椒基质干扰呈假阳性外,其它样本的检测结果均与GC方法结果一致。试纸条采用金标羊抗小鼠IgG二抗的方法,使检测结果的重现性更好、更稳定,且抗基质干扰能力强,为菊酯类农药的累积毒性检测提供了新方法。     

State of the art: Lateral flow assay (LFA) biosensor for on-site rapid detection

We summarized the principle of LFAs, three main elements for the LFAs (recognition molecule, signal transduction element, the targets) and different optimal experimental conditions in the recent LFA-related studies to give detailed overview of the LFA development.     

Recent Advances of Pure Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence Materials for Bioimaging Applications

Bioimaging,as a powerful and helpful tool,which allows people to investigate deeply within living organisms,has contributed a lot for both clinical theranostics and scientific research.Pure organic room temperature phosphorescence(RTP)materials with the unique features of ultralong luminescence lifetime and large Stokes shift,can efficiently avoid biological autofluorescence and scattered light through a time-resolved imaging modality,and thus are attracting increasing attention.This review classifies pure organic RTP materials into three categories,including small molecule RTP materials,polymer RTP materials and supramolecular RTP materials,and summarizes the recent advances of pure organic RTP materials for bioimaging applications.     

Time-resolved laser-induced fluorimetry for screening polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons on solid-phase extraction membranes

The potential of solid-phase extraction (SPE) time-resolved laser-induced fluorimetry (TRLIF) is evaluated for screening polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aqueous samples. Octadecyl membranes are used with the dual purpose of extracting the pollutants from the water sample and serving as the solid substrate for fluorescence detection. Excitation of fluorescence is performed with a Nd:YAG pumped tunable dye laser pumped with a pulsed source for time-resolving spectral interference. Wavelength time matrices (WTMs) and real time-resolved fluorescence spectra are recorded with a pulsed delay generator, a spectrograph and an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD). In comparison to SPE solid-matrix luminescence (SML) with conventional instrumentation, this approach provides better limits of detection (LOD) and selectivity. The improvement in LOD is of one order of magnitude, reaching the parts-per-trillion level with 10 ml of water sample. The improvement in selectivity allows the direct determination of target compounds in complex samples. The direct determination of benzo[a]pyrene from a spiked river water sample of unknown composition is presented.     

Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay Platform for Sensitive Quantitation of Four Sulfonamide Residues in Milk and Swine Urine

Based on the available rabbit monoclonal antibody (RabMAb), a rapid and sensitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) platform has been developed for quantitative detection of four sulfonamide residues(SRs) of sulfadiazine (SD), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfapyridine (SP), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX).Within the designed LFA competitive format assay, which was based on antigen-antibody properties, the hapten conjugate N¹-[4-(carboxymethyl)-2-thiazolyl] sulfanilamide linked to protein ovalbumin (TS-OVA) and goat anti-rabbit antibody were sprayed as capture and control reagents, respectively, and then the antibody was conjugated to colloidal gold particles as the detection reagent. With quantitative assessment aided by a colorimetric strip reader, the sensitivities of the established LFA method for SD, STZ, SP, and SMX were 0.91 ng mL^?1, 0.10ng mL^?1,0.12ng mL^?1, and 2.13ng mL^?1, and the half-maximum inhibition concentrations (IC₅₀) were 5.19 ng mL^?1, 1.25 ng mL^?1, 0.66 ng mL^?1, and 24.14 ng mL^?1, respectively. The recoveries at three spiked levels (5, 20, 50 ng mL^?1for SD, STZ, and SP; 20, 50, 100 ng mL^?1 for SMX) were in the range of 78.02–135.10% and 76.40–137.16% for milk and swine urine, respectively. More importantly, the detection performance of the established platform was consistent with that of in-parallel LC-MS/MS analysis. In conclusion, the proposed LFA platform has showed the potential for fast, sensitive and relatively accurate quantification of four sulfonamide residues in practical uses.