Lateral Flow Assay Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanoparticles Made of Inexpensive Metals─Replacing Colloidal...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in biosensing for detecting analytes in biological samples.
• Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were extensively utilized in COVID-19 lateral flow assays (LFAs).
• The high cost and limited supply of gold present challenges for widespread NP applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alternative, cost-effective plasmonic nanoparticles for biosensing.
• To evaluate the performance of titanium nitride (TiN) and copper-gold core-shell (Cu@Au) NPs in LFAs.
• To compare the accuracy of TiN-based biodetection with traditional Au NPs using machine learning.

Main Methods:

• Conjugation of novel plasmonic NPs (TiN and Cu@Au) with biomolecules.
• Development and testing of TiN and Cu@Au NPs in lateral flow assay (LFA) formats.
• Performance evaluation of NPs using figures of merit like signal intensity and specificity.
• Machine learning analysis to assess biodetection accuracy.

Main Results:

• TiN and Cu@Au NPs demonstrated performance comparable or superior to Au NPs in LFAs.
• Conjugated novel NPs achieved high signals, specificity, and robust naked-eye recognition.
• Machine learning models indicated higher accuracy for TiN-based biodetection compared to Au NPs.
• Laser-ablation fabrication of TiN NPs offers a potentially cost-effective synthesis method.

Conclusions:

• TiN and Cu@Au NPs represent promising, inexpensive alternatives to gold nanoparticles for biosensing.
• These novel nanomaterials can enhance the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of diagnostic tools.
• The findings support the potential of TiN NPs for accurate and efficient biodetection applications.