Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 12, 2025
Multiplexed Fluorescent Microarray for Human Salivary Protein Analysis Using Polymer Microspheres and Fiber-optic Bundles
Published on: October 10, 2013
Bright and stable dye-doped fluorescent polystyrene microspheres: quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for detecting
Dan Li1, Qiang Li2, Delong Ma1
1Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Institute of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. chenxuyan@ecust.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Difluoroboron is a fundamental molecular building block that enables the development of numerous highly bright fluorophores for biosensing and imaging. However, its poor stability and limited brightness in aqueous solutions are long-standing and unresolved issues in developing difluoroboron-based fluorophores, which significantly limit their widespread biosensing applicability. Herein, we report a generalizable strategy for synthesising dye-doped fluorescent polystyrene microspheres as a local hydrophobic microenvironment to "protect" difluoroboron curcuminoids from water and reactive oxygen species. This strategy demonstrates a breakthrough in the chemical stability, photo-stability and brightness of difluoroboron-based fluorophores in aqueous solutions, making it suitable for point-of-care testing. The results of lateral flow immunoassay using the dye-doped fluorescent polystyrene microspheres highlight a wide linear range, low limit of detection, good intra-assay and inter-assay coefficient of variations; thus, the reported microspheres can be considered an efficient tool for serum amyloid A detection in human serum samples.
