Reports on the sensitivity enhancement in interferometric based biosensors by biotin-streptavidin system

Antibody biotinylation is a process of attaching biotin molecules to antibodies by chemically modifying specific functional groups on the antibodies without altering their antigen recognition specificity. Biotin, a small vitamin, forms a strong and specific interaction with the protein streptavidin, resulting in a stable biotin-streptavidin (biotin-STV) complex. This biotin-STV interaction is widely exploited in various biotechnological applications, including biosensors. Biosensors are analytical devices that employ biological recognition elements, such as antibodies, enzymes, or nucleic acids, to detect and quantify target analytes in a sample. Antibodies are commonly used as recognition elements in biosensors due to their high specificity and affinity. In this study, the antibody anti-Bovine Serum Albumin (αBSA) has been biotinylated at different antibody:biotin ratios, and the stability of this labeling over time has been investigated. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the biosensor for detecting the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein has been compared using the biotinylated antibody and the non-biotinylated form, showing a four-fold improvement in detection. This system was also compared with the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. The advantages of using biotinylated antibodies in biosensors include increased stability and reproducibility of the biorecognition layer, as well as flexibility in sensor design, as different biotinylated antibodies can be utilized for diverse target analytes without altering the sensor's architecture.