An optical aptasensor for real-time quantification of endotoxin
From ensemble to single-molecule resolution
Pancheng Zhu (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, TU Delft - ChemE/Product and Process Engineering)
Vasileios A. Papadimitriou (TU Delft - ChemE/Product and Process Engineering)
Jeanne E. van Dongen (University of Twente)
Julia Cordeiro (Student TU Delft)
Yannick Neeleman (Student TU Delft)
Albert Santoso (TU Delft - ChemE/Product and Process Engineering)
Shuyi Chen (National Taipei Universityof Technology, Taipei, Student TU Delft)
Jan C.T. Eijkel (University of Twente)
Alina Y. Rwei (TU Delft - ChemE/Product and Process Engineering)
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Abstract
Endotoxin is a deadly pyrogen, rendering it crucial to monitor with high accuracy and efficiency. However, current endotoxin detection relies on multistep processes that are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and unsustainable. Here, we report an aptamer-based biosensor for the real-time optical detection of endotoxin. The endotoxin sensor exploits the distance-dependent scattering of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coupled to a gold nanofilm. This is enabled by the conformational changes of an endotoxin-specific aptamer upon target binding. The sensor can be used in an ensemble mode and single-particle mode under dark-field illumination. In the ensemble mode, the sensor is coupled with a microspectrometer and exhibits high specificity, reliability (i.e., linear concentration to signal profile in logarithmic scale), and reusability for repeated endotoxin measurements. Individual endotoxins can be detected by monitoring the color of single AuNPs via a color camera, achieving single-molecule resolution. This platform can potentially advance endotoxin detection to safeguard medical, food, and pharmaceutical products.
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