Registration of T-2 mycotoxin with total internal reflection ellipsometry and QCM impedance methods

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biophysics
• Immunosensor Technology

Background:

• T-2 mycotoxin poses a significant threat to food safety and human health.
• Accurate and sensitive detection methods for T-2 mycotoxin are crucial for risk assessment.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity or require complex sample preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive optical method for T-2 mycotoxin detection.
• To quantify the binding kinetics between T-2 mycotoxin and antibodies.
• To investigate the physical changes associated with T-2 mycotoxin-antibody interactions.

Main Methods:

• Total Internal Reflection Ellipsometry (TIRE) for optical detection.
• Immune assay approach for specific T-2 mycotoxin recognition.
• Kinetic measurements to determine association constants.
• Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) impedance measurements for mass analysis.

Main Results:

• TIRE successfully detected T-2 mycotoxin over a wide concentration range (100 µg/ml to 0.15 ng/ml).
• Association constants for polyclonal and monoclonal T-2 antibodies were determined as 1.4x10^6 and 1.9x10^7 mol⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively.
• TIRE indicated an increase in adsorbed layer thickness of 4-5 nm upon T-2 binding.
• QCM data revealed significant mass increase and film softening, suggesting the binding of T-2 aggregates.

Conclusions:

• TIRE is a highly sensitive and effective method for T-2 mycotoxin detection.
• The study provides valuable kinetic and physical insights into T-2 mycotoxin-antibody interactions.
• The findings suggest potential for TIRE-based immunosensors in food safety and diagnostics.