Simple and rapid colorimetric enzyme sensing assays using non-crosslinking gold nanoparticle aggregation

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are widely used in biosensing.
• Surface charge plays a critical role in nanoparticle stability and aggregation.
• Enzymatic activity detection is crucial for diagnostics and drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensing platform utilizing non-crosslinking gold nanoparticle (AuNP) aggregation.
• To demonstrate the application of this platform for enzymatic activity sensing.
• To explore its potential for inhibitor screening.

Main Methods:

• Inducing AuNP aggregation through the loss or screening of surface charges.
• Monitoring aggregation changes as an indicator of enzymatic activity.
• Utilizing the sensing platform for inhibitor screening assays.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated that surface charge modulation can induce non-crosslinking AuNP aggregation.
• Validated the correlation between enzymatic activity and the observed AuNP aggregation.
• Showcased the potential of the system for identifying enzyme inhibitors.

Conclusions:

• Non-crosslinking AuNP aggregation is a viable mechanism for sensitive enzymatic activity sensing.
• This approach offers a promising method for high-throughput inhibitor screening.
• The developed platform provides a novel tool for biochemical analysis.