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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
Design and Development of Aptamer–Gold Nanoparticle Based Colorimetric Assays for In-the-field Applications
Published on: June 23, 2016
A novel portable biosensor based on aptamer functionalized gold nanoparticles for adenosine detection.
Shuqi Zhou1, Ying Gan2, Liubing Kong2
1Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China.
A new colorimetric aptasensor offers sensitive, rapid detection of adenosine, a lung cancer biomarker. This portable electronic-eye system provides in-situ monitoring within 20 minutes, simplifying complex procedures.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Adenosine is a potential biomarker for lung cancer monitoring.
- Current adenosine detection methods often involve complex procedures and large instruments.
- There is a need for sensitive, rapid, and portable detection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a sensitive, rapid, and in-situ colorimetric aptasensor for adenosine detection.
- To establish a portable electronic-eye (E-eye) system for real-time adenosine monitoring.
- To evaluate the performance of the aptasensor and E-eye system for adenosine detection.
Main Methods:
- Development of a colorimetric aptasensor using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a specific aptamer.
- Comparison of four different aptamer systems to identify the most stable and effective one.
- Integration of the aptasensor with a homemade biomimetic electronic-eye (E-eye) for portable detection.
- Testing the aptasensor in artificial urine samples to assess its applicability in complex biological matrices.
Main Results:
- The AuNPs-aptamer-biotin system demonstrated superior stability and a wide detection range (5.0–60.0 μM) with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.17 μM.
- The entire measurement process, including aptamer binding and detection, was completed within 20 minutes.
- The aptasensor coupled with the E-eye showed a linear range of 5.0–50.0 μM and an LOD of 0.48 μM in artificial urine samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed colorimetric aptasensor and portable E-eye system provide a sensitive, rapid, and in-situ method for adenosine detection.
- This platform offers a promising alternative to conventional methods, simplifying lung cancer biomarker monitoring.
- The system's effectiveness in artificial urine samples highlights its potential for practical clinical applications.
