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Optical-Antenna-Enhanced LED Biochips for Femtomolar Detection of Protein Biomarkers
Mengyao Wang1,2, Yangming Hu1, Tianzhu Zhang1
1Institute of Physics, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|January 26, 2026
Summary
This study presents a novel biosensing platform for single-molecule detection using plasmonic antennas and an LED chip. This technology enables highly sensitive disease diagnostics, like early cancer detection, at low cost.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Optical Biosensing
Background:
- Single-molecule detection offers ultimate sensitivity for disease diagnostics, crucial for early cancer and Alzheimer's detection.
- Current digital immunosensing assays are limited by bulky, expensive light sources, hindering point-of-care applications.
- Development of miniaturized, low-cost diagnostic tools is essential for widespread disease screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, low-cost single-molecule biosensing platform.
- To enhance the limit of detection (LOD) by optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
- To demonstrate the platform's capability for quantifying protein biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- Integration of plasmonic optical antennas (gold nanoparticles on a gold film) with an inexpensive LED chip.
- Enhancement of SNR by minimizing background emission from the LED.
- Utilizing scattering light from plasmonic antennas for signal detection.
Main Results:
- Achieved an optimized SNR of 2.67 dB.
- Demonstrated quantification of human Interleukin-6 (IL-6) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.01 fg/mL.
- Performance comparable to existing single-molecule detection platforms.
Conclusions:
- A portable, low-cost single-molecule detection platform has been successfully developed.
- The platform integrates plasmonic antennas and LED technology for enhanced sensitivity.
- This innovation holds potential for advancing point-of-care diagnostics and early disease detection.
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