Open AccessUltrabright fluorescent nanoscale labels for the femtomolar detection of analytes with standard bioassays
Author(s) -
Jingyi Luan,
Anushree Seth,
Rohit Gupta,
Zheyu Wang,
Priya Rathi,
Sisi Cao,
Hamed Gholami Derami,
Rui Tang,
Baogang Xu,
Samuel Achilefu,
Jeremiah J. Morrissey,
Srikanth Singamaneni
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
nature biomedical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.961
H-Index - 56
ISSN - 2157-846X
DOI - 10.1038/s41551-020-0547-4
Subject(s) - fluorophore , plasmon , fluorescence , analyte , detection limit , dynamic range , biosensor , materials science , immunoassay , bioassay , chemistry , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , optics , biology , physics , genetics , antibody , immunology
The detection and quantification of low-abundance molecular biomarkers in biological samples is challenging. Here, we show that a plasmonic nanoscale construct serving as an 'add-on' label for a broad range of bioassays improves their signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range without altering their workflow and readout devices. The plasmonic construct consists of a bovine serum albumin scaffold with approximately 210 IRDye 800CW fluorophores (with a fluorescence intensity approximately 6,700-fold that of a single 800CW fluorophore), a polymer-coated gold nanorod acting as a plasmonic antenna and biotin as a high-affinity biorecognition element. Its emission wavelength can be tuned over the visible and near-infrared spectral regions by modifying its size, shape and composition. It improves the limit of detection in fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assays by up to 4,750-fold and is compatible with multiplexed bead-based immunoassays, immunomicroarrays, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry methods, and it shortens overall assay times (to 20 min) and lowers sample volumes, as shown for the detection of a pro-inflammatory cytokine in mouse interstitial fluid and of urinary biomarkers in patient samples.