Accelerated colorimetric immunosensing using surface-modified porous monoliths and gold nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional immunoassays are often time-consuming and require complex equipment.
• Developing rapid and sensitive detection methods is crucial for diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and sensitive immunoassay platform.
• To integrate polymerized monoliths and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for enhanced immunoassay performance.

Main Methods:

• Photopolymerization of monoliths within silica capillaries as solid supports.
• Immobilization of capture antibodies onto monoliths for high-density binding.
• Modification of AuNPs with detection antibodies for colorimetric signal generation.

Main Results:

• The platform demonstrated high-mass transport and efficient capture antibody immobilization.
• Achieved a low diffusion length, enabling rapid antibody-antigen interactions.
• Verified with a human IgG sandwich immunoassay, yielding a detection limit of 0.1 ng/mL.
• Completed a single assay in 1 hour, significantly faster than conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed immunoassay platform offers a rapid, sensitive, and efficient alternative to traditional methods.
• Integration of monoliths and AuNPs simplifies the assay, eliminating the need for enzymes and substrates.
• This technology holds potential for point-of-care diagnostics and high-throughput screening.