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Updated: May 8, 2026
09:02
Fabricating a UV-Vis and Raman Spectroscopy Immunoassay Platform
Published on: November 10, 2016
Accelerated surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based immunoassay on a gold-plated membrane
Michelle A Penn1, David M Drake, Jeremy D Driskell
1Department of Chemistry, Illinois State University , Normal, Illinois 61790, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|August 27, 2013
Summary
A novel flow-through immunoassay using SERS nanoparticles significantly speeds up analysis by overcoming diffusion limits. This rapid assay reduces detection times from 24 hours to 10 minutes, enhancing sensitivity for biomarker detection.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Conventional immunoassays suffer from slow diffusion-limited binding kinetics, hindering rapid analysis.
- Heterogeneous immunoassays require efficient capture substrates to enhance binding kinetics.
- Nanoparticle-based Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) offers high sensitivity but can be limited by assay speed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid and simple SERS-based immunoassay by enhancing antibody-antigen binding kinetics.
- To create an antibody-modified membrane as a flow-through capture substrate for nanoparticle-enabled SERS immunoassay.
- To overcome diffusion-limited binding kinetics in heterogeneous immunoassays.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of gold-plated nanoporous membranes via electroless deposition.
- Immobilization of capture antibodies onto the gold-plated membrane using thiolate coupling chemistry.
- Development of a flow-through system using a syringe pump for active transport of analytes and SERS labels to the capture substrate.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated active transport via flow rate significantly expedites antibody-antigen binding.
- Reduced assay time for mouse IgG detection from 24 hours to 10 minutes.
- Achieved a 10-fold improvement in detection limit compared to passive assays.
- Successfully analyzed mouse serum for IgG levels using the developed flow assay.
Conclusions:
- The developed antibody-modified membrane serves as a viable capture substrate for SERS-based immunoassays.
- Active transport in a flow-through system dramatically enhances binding kinetics and assay speed.
- This SERS-based flow immunoassay offers a rapid, sensitive, and direct method for biomarker quantification in complex matrices like serum.
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