Use of liposomal amplifiers in total internal reflection fluorescence fiber-optic biosensors for protein detection

Evanescent-wave excited fluorescence technology has been demonstrated to enhance sensitivity and reduce matrix effects, making it suitable for biosensor development. In this study, we developed a liposome-based, total internal reflection fluorescence, fiber-optic biosensor (TIRF-FOB) for protein detection, which integrates a liposomal amplifier and sandwich immunoassay format with TIRF-FOB. In addition, the antibody-tagged and fluorophore-entrapped liposomes for heterogeneous detection of target molecules were designed and synthesized. This biosensor successfully detected the target protein (model analyzed here is IgG) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.0 attomoles for the target protein (equivalent to 2.0 pg/mL of protein presented in 150 μL of sample solution). The features of this ultra-sensitive liposomal TIRF-FOB are (i) fluorescence is excited via evanescent waves and amplified via liposomes; (ii) the use of two polyclonal antibodies in the sandwich assay format increases the specificity and lowers the cost of our assay. Based on the exceptional detection sensitivity and cost-effectiveness, we believe that the proposed biosensor has great potential as a practical, clinical diagnostic tool in the near future.