Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Author Spotlight: Expanding the Scope of Multiplex Immunoassays for Lyme Borreliosis Diagnostics and Pathogen Research
05:25

Author Spotlight: Expanding the Scope of Multiplex Immunoassays for Lyme Borreliosis Diagnostics and Pathogen Research

Published on: July 14, 2023

2.0K

Label-Free Sandwich Imaging Ellipsometry Immunosensor for Serological Detection of Procalcitonin

Yike Li1, Wei Liu2,3, Gang Jin3,4

  • 1Analytical and Testing Center of Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , China.

Analytical Chemistry
|May 31, 2018
PubMed

Insights

A novel sandwich strategy-mediated imaging ellipsometry (IE) immunosensor effectively detects low molecular weight (LMW) proteins in serum. This method enhances signal amplification and minimizes nonspecific adsorption for accurate biomarker analysis.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Immunosensing

Background:

  • Detecting low molecular weight (LMW) proteins in serum via label-free imaging ellipsometry (IE) is challenging.
  • Weak binding affinity and low ligand density limit current IE immunosensor performance for LMW proteins.
  • Nonspecific adsorption complicates accurate analysis of trace proteins in complex serum matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an effective signal amplification strategy for IE immunosensors targeting LMW proteins in serum.
  • To overcome limitations of weak binding affinity and nonspecific adsorption in LMW protein detection.
  • To enable sensitive and specific immunodetection of LMW protein biomarkers in clinical samples.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a sandwich strategy-mediated IE (SSIE) immunosensor.
  • Optimization of ligand density and binding conditions for LMW protein capture.
  • Validation using quantitative detection of procalcitonin (PCT) in human serum samples.

Main Results:

  • The SSIE immunosensor demonstrated significantly improved signal amplification compared to conventional IE methods.
  • Effective suppression of nonspecific adsorption was achieved, enhancing specificity in serum analysis.
  • Accurate and sensitive quantitative detection of procalcitonin (PCT) in serum was accomplished.

Conclusions:

  • The SSIE immunosensor provides a robust platform for sensitive and specific detection of LMW protein biomarkers in serum.
  • This approach offers advantages in simplicity, rapidity, and sensitivity over existing methodologies.
  • Established criteria can predict SSIE immunosensor performance, enabling smart and efficient LMW protein biomarker detection.

More Related Videos

Labeling Stem Cells with Fluorescent Dyes for non-invasive Detection with Optical Imaging07:42

Labeling Stem Cells with Fluorescent Dyes for non-invasive Detection with Optical Imaging

Published on: April 2, 2008

13.9K
Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films09:32

Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films

Published on: January 26, 2016

8.6K

Related Concept Videos

Labeling Emotion01:20

Labeling Emotion

Emotional labeling is a cognitive process that involves identifying and naming one's emotions, such as anger, fear, happiness, or sadness. It allows individuals to recognize and express their internal emotional states, a critical aspect of emotional regulation and communication. Labeling emotions requires more than mere recognition; it also involves drawing upon memory and contextual cues to understand the current situation and apply a corresponding emotional label. For instance, feeling...
740
Labeling DNA Probes03:31

Labeling DNA Probes

DNA probes are fragments of DNA labeled with a reporter tag to enable their detection or purification. The resulting labeled DNA probes can then hybridize to target nucleic acid sequences through complementary base-pairing, and may be used to recover or identify these regions.
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...
9.4K
Detection of Gross Error: The Q Test01:00

Detection of Gross Error: The Q Test

When one or more data points appear far from the rest of the data, there is a need to determine whether they are outliers and whether they should be eliminated from the data set to ensure an accurate representation of the measured value. In many cases, outliers arise from gross errors (or human errors) and do not accurately reflect the underlying phenomenon. In some cases, however, these apparent outliers reflect true phenomenological differences. In these cases, we can use statistical methods...
7.0K
Detection of Black Holes01:10

Detection of Black Holes

Although black holes were theoretically postulated in the 1920s, they remained outside the domain of observational astronomy until the 1970s.
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
2.6K
Difference from Background: Limit of Detection01:05

Difference from Background: Limit of Detection

The limit of detection (LOD) is the smallest amount of analyte that can be distinguished from the background noise. The LOD value corresponds to the concentration at which the analyte signal is three times larger than the standard deviation of the blank signal. Below this value, the analyte signal cannot be differentiated from the background noise. It is calculated by dividing the calibration slope by 3 times the standard deviation of the blank signals.
The LOD indicates the presence or absence...
8.4K
Effects of EDTA on End-Point Detection Methods01:18

Effects of EDTA on End-Point Detection Methods

Different methods, such as visual observance of metal-ion indicators, spectroscopic techniques, and potentiometric methods, can determine the endpoint of an EDTA titration.
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a...
667