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- Multiplexing (3) (entfernen)
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The simultaneous detection of different analytes has gained increasing importance in recent years, especially in the fields of medical diagnostics and environmental analysis. Multiplex assays allow for a range of biomarkers or pollutants to be rapidly and simultaneously measured. Particularly suitable formats for multiplexing are bead-based assays. The beads employed need to fulfil size and density requirements, important for instance for flow cytometry, and shall exhibit a high modularity to be facilely adapted to various kinds of analytes and detection systems. Core/shell particles are ideally suited in this sense because of their modularity in design and adaptability for various (bio)analytical assays. Here, polystyrene particles coated with different kinds of shells are presented, possessing features that are useful for a multitude of assay formats.
The particles in focus were coated with mesoporous and non-porous silica shells, with the possibility to introduce magnetic features to facilitate easier handling dependent on the assay format (e.g., in microfluidics). With high throughput analyses in mind, cytometric model assays were developed. Different factors such as pH or mediator salt used during shell preparation were evaluated with shell inspection by electron microscopy (SEM/TEM/EDX) being key to architectural control of the monodisperse particles. The optimized core/shell particles can be functionalized with capture biomolecules for toxins, viruses, or drugs to demonstrate particle performance. Showing how tailoring of the shell’s surface area controls sensitivity and dynamic range of the assay, an antibody-based assay for the detection of mycotoxins and a multiplex assay for the determination of DNA from different human papilloma virus (HPV) lines were developed.
A first tricolor fluorescent pH nanosensor is presented, which was rationally designed from biocompatible carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles and two analyte-responsive molecular fluorophores. Its fabrication involved particle staining with a blue-red-emissive dyad, consisting of a rhodamine moiety responsive to acidic pH values and a pH-inert quinoline fluorophore, followed by the covalent attachment of a fluorescein dye to the particle surface that signals neutral and basic pH values with a green fluorescence. These sensor particles change their fluorescence from blue to red and green, depending on the pH and excitation wavelength, and enable ratiometric pH measurements in the pH range of 3.0−9.0. The localization of the different sensor dyes in the particle core and at the particle surface was confirmed with fluorescence microscopy utilizing analogously prepared polystyrene microparticles. To show the application potential of these polystyrene-based multicolor sensor particles, fluorescence microscopy studies with a human A549 cell line were performed, which revealed the cellular uptake of the pH nanosensor and the differently colored emissions in different cell organelles, that is, compartments of the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. Our results demonstrate the underexplored potential of biocompatible polystyrene particles for multicolor and multianalyte sensing and bioimaging utilizing hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic stimuli-responsive luminophores.
The use of macromolecules and materials immobilized in the detection zone of test strips for indicator capture and focusing in label-free lateral flow assays (LFAs) is described, with emphasis on its future use in low number multiplexing. Several materials such as polyelectrolytes, functionalized mesoporous silica micro- and nanoparticles, chemically modified cellulose or glass fibre (GF) membranes and molecularly imprinted polymer gels coated onto membranes were studied in model assays, before the most promising materials were combined with antibody-gated indicator delivering (gAID) sensor materials. Cellulose, nitrocellulose and GF membranes were used as supports and highly fluorescent dyes of different charge states as model indicators. Combination of the best performing capture materials with gAID systems made it possible to distinctly increase the sensitivity and reduce the measurement uncertainty in the LFA testing of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) in aqueous samples. In addition, dual-plexing of PETN and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was realized on a single test strip containing two dedicated capture zones.