In Planta Microsphere-Based Lateral Flow Leaf Biosensor in Maize

Low-cost and quick detection of biotic stresses is critically important for protection of staple food crops such as maize in smallholder farms in developing countries, where access to improved seed varieties, fertilizers, and pesticides is limited due to financial and geographical reasons. Here, we report a new lateral flow detection technology directly integrated in a maize leaf, in which microspheres conjugated with analyte-specific capture antibodies are non-invasively injected. The antibody-conjugated microspheres capture and detect an analyte in a concentration-specific manner. In this study, we optimized microsphere size for effective infiltration and immobilization in the leaf, and further demonstrated detection of a fluorescent mock biomarker, fluorescein, in a live maize plant. This in planta lateral flow biosensor is the first of its kind and is expected to provide a low-cost and user-friendly detection method for biotic stresses in the field.