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Kourentzi K, Brosamer K, Vu B, Willson RC. Accelerated Development of a COVID-19 Lateral Flow Test in an Academic Setting: Lessons Learned. Acc Chem Res 2024. [PMID: 38590049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusThe COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated the need for usable, reliable, and cost-effective point-of-care diagnostics that can be broadly deployed, ideally for self-testing at home. Antigen tests using more-detectable reporter labels (usually at the cost of reader complexity) achieve better diagnostic sensitivity, supporting the value of higher-analytical-sensitivity reporter technologies in lateral flow.We developed a new approach to simple, inexpensive lateral flow assays (LFAs) of great sensitivity, based on the glow stick peroxyoxalate chemistry widely used in emergency settings and in children's toys. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to participate in the pandemic-driven NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative aiming to develop a deployable lateral flow diagnostic for SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein based on our novel glow stick-inspired light-emitting reporter technology. During this project, we screened more than 250 antibody pairs for analytical sensitivity and specificity directly in LFA format, using recombinant nucleoprotein and then gamma-irradiated virions spiked into negative nasal swab extracts. Membranes and other LFA materials and swabs and extraction reagent components also were screened and selected. Optimization of conjugate preparation and spraying as well as pretreatment/conditioning of the sample pad led to the final optimized LFA strip. Technology development also included optimization of excitation liquid enclosed in disposable droppers, design of a custom cartridge and smartphone-based reader, and app development, even a prototype reader usable with any mobile phone. Excellent preclinical performance was first demonstrated with contrived samples and then with leftover clinical samples. Moving beyond traditional academic focus areas, we were able to establish a quality management system (QMS), produce large numbers of customized LFA cassettes by contract injection molding, build in-house facilities to assemble and store thousands of complete tests for verification and validation and usability studies, and source kitting/packaging services and quality standard reagents and build partnerships for clinical translation, regulatory guidance, scale up, and market deployment. We were not able to bring this early stage technology to the point of commercialization within the limited time and resources available, but we did achieve strong proof-of-concept and advance translational aspects of the platform including initial high-performance LFAs, reading by the iPhone app using only a $2 plastic dark box with no lens, and convenient, usable excitation liquid packaging in droppers manufacturable in very large numbers.In this Account, we aim to provide a concise overview of our 18-month sprint toward the practical development of a deployable antigen lateral flow assay under pandemic conditions and the challenges and successes experienced by our team. We highlight what it takes to coach a technically savvy but commercially inexperienced academic team through the accelerated translation of an early stage technology into a useful product. Finally, we provide a guided tutorial and workflow to empower others interested in the rapid development of translatable LFAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Kristen Brosamer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Richard C Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
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Chabi M, Vu B, Brosamer K, Smith M, Chavan D, Conrad JC, Willson RC, Kourentzi K. Correction: Smartphone-read phage lateral flow assay for point-of-care detection of infection. Analyst 2024; 149:1665. [PMID: 38348476 PMCID: PMC10895694 DOI: 10.1039/d4an90016b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Correction for 'Smartphone-read phage lateral flow assay for point-of-care detection of infection' by Maede Chabi, et al., Analyst, 2023, 148, 839-848, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2AN01499H.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maede Chabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Kristen Brosamer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Maxwell Smith
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64710, Mexico
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
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Vu BV, Brosamer K, McDaniel N, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Fernando H. "Glow ELISA": sensitive immunoassay with minimal equipment and stable reagents. Analyst 2023; 148:5582-5587. [PMID: 37819257 PMCID: PMC10658793 DOI: 10.1039/d3an01623d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Glow enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (glow ELISA) uses inexpensive and shelf-stable glow stick reagents to chemically excite fluorescent reporters, obviating the need for excitation light sources, filters, and complex optics. It achieves excellent limits of detection while offering portability and equipment cost comparable to lateral flow immunoassays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binh V Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Kristen Brosamer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Naiyah McDaniel
- Department of Chemistry, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Institute for Obesity Research, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Harshica Fernando
- Department of Chemistry, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, USA.
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Younes N, Yassine HM, Nizamuddin PB, Kourentzi K, Tang P, Ayoub HH, Khalili M, Coyle PV, Litvinov D, Willson RC, Abu-Raddad LJ, Nasrallah GK. Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among male craft and manual workers in Qatar (2020-2021). Heliyon 2023; 9:e21404. [PMID: 38027884 PMCID: PMC10660033 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The rapid growth of Qatar in the last two decades has attracted a large influx of immigrant craft and manual workers (CMWs) seeking employment in jobs associated with food handling, domestic service, and construction. Nearly 60 % of Qatar's population are expatriates CMWs, including many from hyperendemic countries for HEV. Thus, estimating the seroprevalence of HEV in Qatar and understanding its epidemiology is essential for public health efforts to control HEV transmission in Qatar. Methods Blood samples from 2670 CMWs were collected between 2020 and 2021. All samples were tested for HEV-IgG antibodies. Positive HEV-IgG samples were tested for HEV-IgM antibodies, and those positives were also tested for viral antigens using an HEV-Ag ELISA kit and HEV-RNA by RT-PCR to confirm current HEV infections. Results The seroprevalence of HEV-IgG was 27.3 % (729/2670; 95 % CI: 25.6-29.0). Of those HEV-IgG positive, 8.23 % (60/729; 95 % CI: 6.30-10.5) were HEV-IgM positive. Of the IgM-positive samples, 2 were HEV-RNA positive (3.39 %; 95 % CI: 0.40-11.7), and 1 was HEV-Ag positive (1.69 %; 95 % CI: 0.04-9.09). In addition, HEV-IgG seroprevalence was associated with age and nationality, with the highest seroprevalence in participants from Egypt (IgG 60.0 %; IgM 5.56 %), Pakistan (IgG 59.0 %; IgM 2.24 %), Nepal (IgG 29.3 %; IgM 2.70 %), Bangladesh (IgG 27.8 %; IgM 2.45 %), and India (IgG 23.9 %; IgM 2.43 %). Conclusion In this study, we showed that the seroprevalence of HEV among CMWs was slightly higher than what was previously reported among the urban population in Qatar (2013-2016).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Younes
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
| | - Hadi M. Yassine
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
| | | | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Patrick Tang
- Division of Microbiology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, 26999, Qatar
| | - Houssein H. Ayoub
- Mathematics Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
| | - Makiyeh Khalili
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, 3050, Qatar
| | - Peter V. Coyle
- Department of Pediatrics, Women's Wellness and Research Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, 3050, Qatar
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Laith J. Abu-Raddad
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gheyath K. Nasrallah
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
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Wang Q, Panpradist N, Kotnik JH, Willson RC, Kourentzi K, Chau ZL, Liu JK, Lutz BR, Lai JJ. A simple agglutination system for rapid antigen detection from large sample volumes with enhanced sensitivity. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1277:341674. [PMID: 37604625 PMCID: PMC10777812 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Lateral flow assays (LFAs) provide a simple and quick option for diagnosis and are widely adopted for point-of-care or at-home tests. However, their sensitivity is often limited. Most LFAs only allow 50 μL samples while various sample types such as saliva could be collected in much larger volumes. Adapting LFAs to accommodate larger sample volumes can improve assay sensitivity by increasing the number of target analytes available for detection. Here, a simple agglutination system comprising biotinylated antibody (Ab) and streptavidin (SA) is presented. The Ab and SA agglutinate into large aggregates due to multiple biotins per Ab and multiple biotin binding sites per SA. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements showed that the agglutinated aggregate could reach a diameter of over 0.5 μm and over 1.5 μm using poly-SA. Through both experiments and Monte Carlo modeling, we found that high valency and equivalent concentrations of the two aggregating components were critical for successful agglutination. The simple agglutination system enables antigen capture from large sample volumes with biotinylated Ab and a swift transition into aggregates that can be collected via filtration. Combining the agglutination system with conventional immunoassays, an agglutination assay is proposed that enables antigen detection from large sample volumes using an in-house 3D-printed device. As a proof-of-concept, we developed an agglutination assay targeting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen for COVID-19 diagnosis from saliva. The assay showed a 10-fold sensitivity enhancement when increasing sample volume from 50 μL to 2 mL, with a final limit of detection (LoD) of 10 pg mL-1 (∼250 fM). The assay was further validated in negative saliva spiked with gamma-irradiated SARS-CoV-2 and showed an LoD of 250 genome copies per μL. The proposed agglutination assay can be easily developed from existing LFAs to facilitate the processing of large sample volumes for improved sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA
| | - Nuttada Panpradist
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA
| | - Jack Henry Kotnik
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Zoe L Chau
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA
| | - Joanne K Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA
| | - Barry R Lutz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA.
| | - James J Lai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5061, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 106335, Taiwan.
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Danthanarayana AN, Nandy S, Kourentzi K, Vu B, Shelite TR, Travi BL, Brgoch J, Willson RC. Smartphone-readable RPA-LFA for the high-sensitivity detection of Leishmania kDNA using nanophosphor reporters. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011436. [PMID: 37399214 PMCID: PMC10353800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Early diagnosis of infectious diseases improves outcomes by enabling earlier delivery of effective treatment, and helps prevent further transmission by undiagnosed persons. We demonstrated a proof-of-concept assay combining isothermal amplification and lateral flow assay (LFA) for early diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a vector-borne infectious disease that affects ca. 700,000 to 1.2 million people annually. Conventional molecular diagnostic techniques based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) require complex apparatus for temperature cycling. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is an isothermal DNA amplification method that has shown promise for use in low-resource settings. Combined with lateral flow assay as the readout, RPA-LFA can be used as a point-of-care diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and specificity, but reagent costs can be problematic. In this work, we developed a highly-sensitive smartphone-based RPA-LFA for the detection of Leishmania panamensis DNA using blue-emitting [(Sr0.625Ba0.375)1.96Eu0.01Dy0.03]MgSi2O7 (SBMSO) persistent luminescent nanophosphors as LFA reporters. The greater detectability of nanophosphors allows the use of a reduced volume of RPA reagents, potentially reducing the cost of RPA-LFA. The limit of detection (LOD) of RPA with gold nanoparticle-based LFA readout is estimated at 1 parasite per reaction, but LOD can be 100-fold better, 0.01 parasites per reaction, for LFA based on SBMSO. This approach may be useful for sensitive and cost-effective point-of-care diagnosis and contribute to improved clinical and economic outcomes, especially in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suman Nandy
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Binh Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Thomas R Shelite
- Department of Biosafety, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Bruno L Travi
- Department of Biosafety, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jakoah Brgoch
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Richard C Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Younes N, Yassine HM, Kourentzi K, Tang P, Litvinov D, Willson RC, Abu-Raddad LJ, Nasrallah GK. A review of rapid food safety testing: using lateral flow assay platform to detect foodborne pathogens. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023:1-23. [PMID: 37350754 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2217921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The detrimental impact of foodborne pathogens on human health makes food safety a major concern at all levels of production. Conventional methods to detect foodborne pathogens, such as live culture, high-performance liquid chromatography, and molecular techniques, are relatively tedious, time-consuming, laborious, and expensive, which hinders their use for on-site applications. Recurrent outbreaks of foodborne illness have heightened the demand for rapid and simple technologies for detection of foodborne pathogens. Recently, Lateral flow assays (LFA) have drawn attention because of their ability to detect pathogens rapidly, cheaply, and on-site. Here, we reviewed the latest developments in LFAs to detect various foodborne pathogens in food samples, giving special attention to how reporters and labels have improved LFA performance. We also discussed different approaches to improve LFA sensitivity and specificity. Most importantly, due to the lack of studies on LFAs for the detection of viral foodborne pathogens in food samples, we summarized our recent research on developing LFAs for the detection of viral foodborne pathogens. Finally, we highlighted the main challenges for further development of LFA platforms. In summary, with continuing improvements, LFAs may soon offer excellent performance at point-of-care that is competitive with laboratory techniques while retaining a rapid format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Younes
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hadi M Yassine
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Patrick Tang
- Department of Pathology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard C Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Laith J Abu-Raddad
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gheyath K Nasrallah
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Brosamer K, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Vu BV. Glowstick-inspired smartphone-readable reporters for sensitive, multiplexed lateral flow immunoassays. Commun Eng 2023; 2:31. [PMID: 38586601 PMCID: PMC10955955 DOI: 10.1038/s44172-023-00075-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for point-of-care (POC) screening tests such as lateral flow assays (LFAs) and highlighted the need for sensitive and cost-effective POC diagnostic platforms. Here, we demonstrate an LFA platform using standard fluorescent nanoparticle reporters in which optical excitation is replaced by chemical excitation using the peroxyoxalate-based chemistry of inexpensive, shelf-stable glowsticks. The one-step chemi-excitation of fluorescent particles produces visible light readable by an unmodified smartphone, enhancing sensitivity while preserving simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Our Glow LFA detected the common model analyte human chorionic gonadotropin with a limit of detection (LoD) of 39 pg/mL-over ten times more sensitive than standard gold nanoparticles using the same antibodies. We also demonstrate its application to the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein at 100 pg/mL in nasal swab extract. Multiple fluorescent dyes can be chemi-excited by a single reagent, allowing for color multiplexing on a single LFA strip with a smartphone camera. The detection of three analytes on a single LFA test line was demonstrated using red, green, and blue fluorescent reporter particles, making glow LFA a promising platform for multiplexed detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Brosamer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64710, Mexico
| | - Binh V. Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
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Goux HJ, Vu BV, Wasden K, Alpadi K, Kumar A, Kalra B, Savjani G, Brosamer K, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Development of a quantitative fluorescence lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) prototype for point-of-need detection of anti-Müllerian hormone. Pract Lab Med 2023; 35:e00314. [PMID: 37181647 PMCID: PMC10172895 DOI: 10.1016/j.plabm.2023.e00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) is a quantitative marker for ovarian reserve and is used to predict response during ovarian stimulation. Streamlining testing to the clinic or even to the physician's office would reduce inconvenience, turnaround time, patient stress and potentially also the total cost of testing, allowing for more frequent monitoring. In this paper, AMH is used as a model biomarker to describe the rational development and optimization of sensitive, quantitative, clinic-based rapid diagnostic tests. Design and Methods We developed a one-step lateral-flow europium (III) chelate-based fluorescent immunoassay (LFIA) for the detection of AMH on a portable fluorescent reader, optimizing the capture/detection antibodies, running buffer, and reporter conjugates. Results A panel of commercial calibrators was used to develop a standard curve to determine the analytical sensitivity (LOD = 0.41 ng/ml) and the analytical range (0.41-15.6 ng/ml) of the LFIA. Commercial controls were then tested to perform an initial evaluation of the prototype performance and showed a high degree of precision (Control I CV 2.18%; Control II CV 3.61%) and accuracy (Control I recovery 126%; Control II recovery 103%). Conclusions: This initial evaluation suggests that, in future clinical testing, the AMH LFIA will likely have the capability of distinguishing women with low ovarian reserve (<1 ng/ml AMH) from women with normal (1-4 ng/ml AMH) ovarian reserve. Furthermore, the LFIA demonstrated a wide linear range, indicating the assay's applicability to the detection of other health conditions such as PCOS, which requires AMH measurement at higher concentrations (>6 ng/ml).
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J. Goux
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Binh V. Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katherine Wasden
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Kristen Brosamer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
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10
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Chabi M, Vu B, Brosamer K, Smith M, Chavan D, Conrad JC, Willson RC, Kourentzi K. Smartphone-read phage lateral flow assay for point-of-care detection of infection. Analyst 2023; 148:839-848. [PMID: 36645184 PMCID: PMC10503656 DOI: 10.1039/d2an01499h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for sensitive, affordable, and widely accessible testing at the point of care. Here we demonstrate a new, universal LFA platform technology using M13 phage conjugated with antibodies and HRP enzymes that offers high analytical sensitivity and excellent performance in a complex clinical matrix. We also report its complete integration into a sensitive chemiluminescence-based smartphone-readable lateral flow assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein. We screened 84 anti-nucleoprotein monoclonal antibody pairs in phage LFA and identified an antibody pair that gave an LoD of 25 pg mL-1 nucleoprotein in nasal swab extract using a FluorChem gel documentation system and 100 pg mL-1 when the test was imaged and analyzed by an in-house-developed smartphone reader. The smartphone-read LFA signals for positive clinical samples tested (N = 15, with known Ct) were statistically different (p < 0.001) from signals for negative clinical samples (N = 11). The phage LFA technology combined with smartphone chemiluminescence imaging can enable the timely development of ultrasensitive, affordable point-of-care testing platforms for SARS-CoV-2 and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maede Chabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Kristen Brosamer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Maxwell Smith
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64710, Mexico
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
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11
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Goyal A, Vu B, Maranholkar V, Patil U, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Continuous monitoring of IgG using immobilized fluorescent reporters. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:482-490. [PMID: 36225160 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In the manufacture of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, the clarified cell culture fluid (CCF) is typically loaded onto an initial protein A affinity capture column. Imperfect mass transfer and loading to maximum capacity can risk antibody breakthrough and loss of valuable product, but conservative underloading wastes expensive protein A resin. In addition, the effects of column fouling and ligand degradation require the frequent optimization of immunoglobulin G (IgG) loading to avoid wastage. Continuous real-time monitoring of IgG flowthrough is of great interest, therefore. We previously developed a fluorescence-based monitoring technology that allows batch mix-and-read mAb detection in the CCF. Here, we report the use of reporters immobilized on cyanogenbromide-activated Sepharose 4B resin for continuous detection of IgG in column breakthrough. The column effluent is continuously contacted with immobilized fluorescein-labeled Fc-binding ligands in a small monitoring column to produce an immediately-detectable change in fluorescence intensity. The technology allows rapid and reliable monitoring of IgG in a flowing stream of clarified CCF emerging from a protein A column, without prior sample preparation. We observed a significant change in fluorescence intensity at 0.5 g/L human IgG, sufficient to detect a 5% breakthrough of a 10 g/L load, within 18 s at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. The current small-scale technology is suitable for use in process development, but the chemistry should be readily adaptable to larger scale applications using fiber-optic sensors, and continuous IgG monitoring could be applicable in a variety of upstream and downstream process settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Goyal
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Binh Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Vijay Maranholkar
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ujwal Patil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard C Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
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12
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Nandy S, Crum M, Wasden K, Strych U, Goyal A, Maranholkar V, Mo W, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Protein A-Nanoluciferase fusion protein for generalized, sensitive detection of immunoglobulin G. Anal Biochem 2023; 660:114929. [PMID: 36270332 PMCID: PMC9826736 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Detection and quantification of antibodies, especially immunoglobulin G (IgG), is a cornerstone of ELISAs, many diagnostics, and the development of antibody-based drugs. Current state-of-the-art immunoassay techniques for antibody detection require species-specific secondary antibodies and carefully-controlled bioconjugations. Poor conjugation efficiency degrades assay performance and increases the risk of clinical false positives due to non-specific binding. We developed a generic, highly-sensitive platform for IgG quantification by fusing the IgG-Fc binding Z domain of Staphylococcal Protein A with the ultrabright bioluminescence reporter Nanoluc-luciferase (Nluc). We demonstrated the application of this fusion protein in a sandwich IgG detection immunoassay using surface-bound antigens to capture target IgG and protein A-Nanoluc fusion as the detector. We optimized the platform's sensitivity by incorporating multiple repeats of the Z domain into the fusion protein constructs. Using rabbit and mouse anti-SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein IgGs as model analytes, we performed ELISAs in two different formats, either with SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein as the capture antigen or with polyclonal chicken IgY as the capture antibody. Using standard laboratory equipment, the platform enabled the quantitation of antibody analytes at concentrations as low as 10 pg/mL (67 fM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Nandy
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mary Crum
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Present address: Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katherine Wasden
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Present address: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ulrich Strych
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Present address: Department of Paediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Atul Goyal
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Present address: Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Vijay Maranholkar
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William Mo
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Present address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| | - Binh Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard C Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico,Corresponding author. (Richard C Willson)
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13
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Lei R, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Soomro S, Danthanarayana AN, Brgoch J, Nadimpalli S, Petri M, Mohan C, Willson RC. A novel technology for home monitoring of lupus nephritis that tracks the pathogenic urine biomarker ALCAM. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1044743. [PMID: 36569940 PMCID: PMC9780296 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1044743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The gold standard for diagnosis of active lupus nephritis (ALN), a kidney biopsy, is invasive with attendant morbidity and cannot be serially repeated. Urinary ALCAM (uALCAM) has shown high diagnostic accuracy for renal pathology activity in ALN patients. Methods Lateral flow assays (LFA) for assaying uALCAM were engineered using persistent luminescent nanoparticles, read by a smartphone. The stability and reproducibility of the assembled LFA strips and freeze-dried conjugated nanoparticles were verified, as was analyte specificity. Results The LFA tests for both un-normalized uALCAM (AUC=0.93) and urine normalizer (HVEM)-normalized uALCAM (AUC=0.91) exhibited excellent accuracies in distinguishing ALN from healthy controls. The accuracies for distinguishing ALN from all other lupus patients were 0.86 and 0.74, respectively. Conclusion Periodic monitoring of uALCAM using this easy-to-use LFA test by the patient at home could potentially accelerate early detection of renal involvement or disease flares in lupus patients, and hence reduce morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongwei Lei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sanam Soomro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Jakoah Brgoch
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Suma Nadimpalli
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Michelle Petri
- Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Chandra Mohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States,*Correspondence: Chandra Mohan, ; Richard C. Willson,
| | - Richard C. Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States,Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL, Mexico,*Correspondence: Chandra Mohan, ; Richard C. Willson,
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14
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Vu BV, Lei R, Mohan C, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Flash Characterization of Smartphones Used in Point-of-Care Diagnostics. Biosensors (Basel) 2022; 12:1060. [PMID: 36551027 PMCID: PMC9776052 DOI: 10.3390/bios12121060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly growing interest in smartphone cameras as the basis of point-of-need diagnostic and bioanalytical technologies increases the importance of quantitative characterization of phone optical performance under real-world operating conditions. In the context of our development of lateral-flow immunoassays based on phosphorescent nanoparticles, we have developed a suite of tools for characterizing the temporal and spectral profiles of smartphone torch and flash emissions, and their dependence on phone power state. In this work, these tools are described and documented to make them easily available to others, and demonstrated by application to characterization of Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 6s, iPhone 8, iPhone XR, and Samsung Note8 flash performance as a function of time and wavelength, at a variety of power settings. Flash and torch intensity and duration vary with phone state and among phone models. Flash has high variability when the battery charge is below 10%, thus, smartphone-based Point-of-Care (POC) tests should only be performed at a battery level of at least 15%. Some output variations could substantially affect the results of assays that rely on the smartphone flash.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binh V. Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Rongwei Lei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Chandra Mohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud ITESM, Monterrey 64710, NL, Mexico
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15
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Chavan D, Adolacion JRT, Crum M, Nandy S, Lee KH, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Sabo A, Willson RC. Isolation and Barcoding of Trace Pollen-free DNA for Authentication of Honey. J Agric Food Chem 2022; 70:14084-14095. [PMID: 36279293 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c04309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Adulteration and mislabeling of honey to mask its true origin have become a global concern. Pollen microscopy, the current gold standard for identifying honey's geographical and plant origins, is laborious, requires extensive training, and fails to identify filtered honey and honey spiked with pollen from a more favorable plant to disguise its origins. We successfully isolated pollen-free DNA from filtered honey using three types of adsorbents: (i) anti-dsDNA antibodies coupled to magnetic microspheres; (ii) anion-exchange adsorbent; and (iii) ceramic hydroxyapatite. The internal transcribed spacer 2 region of the captured pollen-free DNA was polymerase chain reaction-amplified and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Using an in-house bioinformatics pipeline, initial experiments showed that anion exchange had the greatest capacity to capture trace pollen-free DNA, and it was successfully applied to isolate DNA from five honey samples. Enrichment of trace pollen-free DNA from filtered honey samples opens a new approach for identifying the true origins of honey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Jay R T Adolacion
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Suman Nandy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Kyung Hyun Lee
- Center for Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas77030, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Aniko Sabo
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas77030, United States
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León64710, Mexico
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16
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Allen GL, Grahn AK, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Waldrop S, Guo J, Kay BK. Expanding the chemical diversity of M13 bacteriophage. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:961093. [PMID: 36003937 PMCID: PMC9393631 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.961093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage M13 virions are very stable nanoparticles that can be modified by chemical and genetic methods. The capsid proteins can be functionalized in a variety of chemical reactions without loss of particle integrity. In addition, Genetic Code Expansion (GCE) permits the introduction of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into displayed peptides and proteins. The incorporation of ncAAs into phage libraries has led to the discovery of high-affinity binders with low nanomolar dissociation constant (K D) values that can potentially serve as inhibitors. This article reviews how bioconjugation and the incorporation of ncAAs during translation have expanded the chemistry of peptides and proteins displayed by M13 virions for a variety of purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sean Waldrop
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Brian K. Kay
- Tango Biosciences, Inc., Chicago, IL, United States
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17
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Patil U, Goyal A, Vu B, Liu Y, Maranholkar V, Kourentzi K, Briggs JM, Willson RC. Antibody mix-and-read assays based on fluorescence intensity probes. MAbs 2021; 13:1980178. [PMID: 34662534 PMCID: PMC8525972 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2021.1980178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies and Fc fusion proteins are a rapidly growing class of pharmaceuticals. Cell culture and purification process development and operation require frequent measurement of product concentrations, commonly by complex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography methods. Here we report a fast (<30 s), and simple antibody Fc assay based on mix-and-read reporting by fluorescence emission. A soluble fluorescein-labeled Fc-affinity reporter produced by standard peptide synthesis is mixed with an Fc-containing sample to produce an immediate shift in both fluorescence polarization and intensity, compatible with on- and at-line measurements and microbioreactor monitoring. We observed significant shifts in fluorescence intensity in Chinese hamster ovary cell culture fluid spiked with IgG and detected an adalimumab biosimilar down to 100 ng/mL (10-4 g/L), despite the interferents in the complex sample matrix. Neither the fluorescence polarization nor the fluorescence intensity assay is significantly affected by the addition of clarified lysate of 2 million CHO-k1 cells/mL, suggesting applicability even to cultures of low viability. Biochemical and molecular docking approaches suggest that the fluorescence intensity enhancement is caused by changes in the fluorophore's local microenvironment upon binding to IgG Fc, especially by interactions with Fc His433.Abbreviations: CCF: Cell Culture Fluid; CHO: Chinese Hamster Ovary cells; ELISA: Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fc: Fragment Crystallizable of antibody; HPLC: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography; HPβCD: hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin; IgG: ImmunoglobulinG; mAb: Monoclonal Antibody; PBS: Phosphate-Buffered Saline; PDB: Protein Data Bank; SpA: Staphylococcal protein A; SpG: Staphylococcal protein G.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujwal Patil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Atul Goyal
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Binh Vu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yanyun Liu
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Vijay Maranholkar
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - James M Briggs
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,Escuela De Medicina Y Ciencias De La Salud TecSalud, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
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18
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Dhamane S, Patil U, Smith M, Adhikari M, Nazem A, Conrad JC, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Isocratic reporter-exclusion immunoassay using restricted-access adsorbents. Analyst 2021; 146:4835-4840. [PMID: 34198311 PMCID: PMC9798887 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00396h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We introduce analyte-dependent exclusion of reporter reagents from restricted-access adsorbents as the basis of an isocratic reporter-exclusion immunoassay for viruses, proteins, and other analytes. Capto™ Core 700 and related resins possess a noninteracting size-selective outer layer surrounding a high-capacity nonspecific mixed-mode capture adsorbent core. In the absence of analyte, antibody-enzyme reporter conjugates can enter the adsorbent and be captured, and their signal is lost. In the presence of large or artificially-expanded analytes, reporter reagents bind to analyte species to form complexes large enough to be excluded from the adsorbent core, allowing their signal to be observed. This assay principle is demonstrated using M13 bacteriophage virus and human chorionic gonadotropin as model analytes. The simple isocratic detection approach described here allows a rapid implementation of immunoassay for detection of a wide range of analytes and uses inexpensive, generally-applicable, and stable column materials instead of costly analyte-specific immunoaffinity adsorbents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagar Dhamane
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Ujwal Patil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Maxwell Smith
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, TX USA
| | - Meena Adhikari
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Ahmad Nazem
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jacinta C. Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, TX USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, TX USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, TX USA,Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de las Salud ITESM, Monterrey, Mexico,Corresponding author. (Richard C. Willson)
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19
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Chavan D, Chen H, Crum M, Vu B, Safari M, Smith M, Vekilov P, Conrad JC, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Neutral DNA-avidin nanoparticles as ultrasensitive reporters in immuno-PCR. Analyst 2020; 145:4942-4949. [PMID: 32500871 PMCID: PMC7412439 DOI: 10.1039/d0an00134a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We have developed an immuno-PCR based diagnostic platform which couples detection antibodies to self-assembled, ultra-detectable DNA-avidin nanoparticles stabilized with poly(ethylene glycol) to link DNA amplification to target protein concentration. Electrostatic neutralization and cloaking of the PCR-amplifiable DNA labels by avidin and PEG coating reduces non-specific "stickiness" and enhances assay sensitivity. We further optimized the detectability of the nanoparticles by incorporating four repeats of a unique synthetic DNA PCR target into each nanoparticle. Using human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) as a model analyte, this platform was able to quantitate the target hCG protein in femtomolar concentrations using only standard laboratory equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Mohammad Safari
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Maxwell Smith
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Peter Vekilov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Jacinta C. Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud ITESM Monterrey, Mexico
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20
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Kourentzi K, Crum M, Patil U, Prebisch A, Chavan D, Vu B, Zeng Z, Litvinov D, Zu Y, Willson RC. Recombinant expression, characterization, and quantification in human cancer cell lines of the Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma-characteristic NPM-ALK fusion protein. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5078. [PMID: 32193476 PMCID: PMC7081362 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61936-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an aggressive T-cell lymphoma most commonly seen in children and young adults. The majority of pediatric ALCLs are associated with the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation which fuses the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) gene with the Nucleophosmin (NPM) gene. The NPM-ALK fusion protein is a constitutively-active tyrosine kinase, and plays a major role in tumor pathogenesis. In an effort to advance novel diagnostic approaches and the understanding of the function of this fusion protein in cancer cells, we expressed in E. coli, purified and characterized human NPM-ALK fusion protein to be used as a standard for estimating expression levels in cultured human ALCL cells, a key tool in ALCL pathobiology research. We estimated that NPM-ALK fusion protein is expressed at substantial levels in both Karpas 299 and SU-DHL-1 cells (ca. 4-6 million molecules or 0.5-0.7 pg protein per cell; based on our in-house developed NPM-ALK ELISA; LOD of 40 pM) as compared to the ubiquitous β-actin protein (ca. 64 million molecules or 4.5 pg per lymphocyte). We also compared NPM-ALK/ β-actin ratios determined by ELISA to those independently determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis and showed that the two methods are in good agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Ujwal Patil
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Ana Prebisch
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Zihua Zeng
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Youli Zu
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud ITESM, Monterrey, Mexico.
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21
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Danthanarayana AN, Finley E, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Brgoch J. A multicolor multiplex lateral flow assay for high-sensitivity analyte detection using persistent luminescent nanophosphors. Anal Methods 2020; 12:272-280. [PMID: 32577135 PMCID: PMC7310964 DOI: 10.1039/c9ay02247c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating two persistent luminescent nanophosphors (PLNPs), green-emitting SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ (SAO) and blue-emitting (Sr0.625Ba0.375)2MgSi2O7:Eu2+,Dy3+ (SBMSO), in a single lateral flow assay (LFA) establishes a luminescence-based, multiplex point-of-need test capable of simultaneously detecting two different analytes in a single sample. The advantages of this system are the high sensitivity and photostability of PLNPs, while only requiring access to minimal hardware and a smartphone for signal detection. The PLNPs were obtained by first wet milling bulk synthesized phosphor powders, followed by fractionation using differential centrifugal sedimentation to obtain monodisperse nanoparticles. A modified Stöber process was then employed to encapsulate the nanoparticles in a water-stable silica shell followed by attaching antibodies to the particles' surfaces using reductive amination chemistry. The resulting PLNPs were incorporated in an LFA to concurrently detect two independent model analytes, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The multicolor-multiplex PLNP-based assays were finally imaged using a smartphone-based imaging system with excellent detection limits (0.1 ng mL-1 of PSA and 1 ng mL-1 of hCG) that are competitive with commercially available LFAs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin Finley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64710, Mexico
| | - Jakoah Brgoch
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
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22
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Khodadadi M, Chang L, Trabuco JRC, Vu BV, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Litvinov D. PCB-Based Magnetometer as a Platform for Quantification of Lateral-Flow Assays. Sensors (Basel) 2019; 19:E5433. [PMID: 31835468 PMCID: PMC6960494 DOI: 10.3390/s19245433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
This work presents a proof-of-concept demonstration of a novel inductive transducer, the femtoMag, that can be integrated with a lateral-flow assay (LFA) to provide detection and quantification of molecular biomarkers. The femtoMag transducer is manufactured using a low-cost printed circuit board (PCB) technology and can be controlled by relatively inexpensive electronics. It allows rapid high-precision quantification of the number (or amount) of superparamagnetic nanoparticle reporters along the length of an LFA test strip. It has a detection limit of 10-10 emu, which is equivalent to detecting 4 ng of superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. The femtoMag was used to quantify the hCG pregnancy hormone by quantifying the number of 200 nm magnetic reporters (superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded into a polymer matrix) immuno-captured within the test line of the LFA strip. A sensitivity of 100 pg/mL has been demonstrated. Upon further design and control electronics improvements, the sensitivity is projected to be better than 10 pg/mL. Analysis suggests that an average of 109 hCG molecules are needed to specifically bind 107 nanoparticles in the test line. The ratio of the number of hCG molecules in the sample to the number of reporters in the test line increases monotonically from 20 to 500 as the hCG concentration increases from 0.1 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL. The low-cost easy-to-use femtoMag platform offers high-sensitivity/high-precision target analyte quantification and promises to bring state-of-the-art medical diagnostic tests to the point of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Khodadadi
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (L.C.); (R.C.W.); (D.L.)
- Materials Science & Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Long Chang
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (L.C.); (R.C.W.); (D.L.)
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - João R. C. Trabuco
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (J.R.C.T.); (B.V.V.); (K.K.)
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Binh V. Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (J.R.C.T.); (B.V.V.); (K.K.)
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (J.R.C.T.); (B.V.V.); (K.K.)
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (L.C.); (R.C.W.); (D.L.)
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (J.R.C.T.); (B.V.V.); (K.K.)
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (L.C.); (R.C.W.); (D.L.)
- Materials Science & Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (J.R.C.T.); (B.V.V.); (K.K.)
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
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23
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Goux HJ, Raja B, Kourentzi K, Trabuco JRC, Vu BV, Paterson AS, Kirkpatrick A, Townsend B, Lee M, Truong VTT, Pedroza C, Willson RC. Evaluation of a nanophosphor lateral-flow assay for self-testing for herpes simplex virus type 2 seropositivity. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225365. [PMID: 31821330 PMCID: PMC6903713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) is a common human pathogen that causes life-long illness. The US prevalence of HSV-2 infection is 11.9% for individuals between 15 and 49 years of age. Individuals with HSV-2 infection are more likely to contract and spread other sexually-transmitted infections. Eighty percent of individuals with HSV-2 are unaware of their infection, in part because of the social stigma associated with in-clinic testing for sexually-transmitted infections. We conducted an initial evaluation of a prototype smartphone-based serological lateral-flow immunoassay (LFA) for HSV-2 infection that uses strontium aluminate persistent luminescent nanoparticles (nanophosphors) as reporters. When applied to a test panel of 21 human plasma/serum samples varying in anti-HSV titer, the nanophosphor HSV-2 LFA had 96.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detection of HSV-2 infection. The sensitivity of the nanophosphor HSV-2 LFA was higher than that of commercially-available rapid HSV-2 assays tested with the same panel. Analysis of the iPhone nanophosphor HSV-2 LFA strip images with our custom smartphone app gave greater reproducibility compared to ImageJ analysis of strip images. The smartphone-based nanophosphor LFA technology shows promise for private self-testing for sexually-transmitted infections (STI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J. Goux
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - João R. C. Trabuco
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Binh V. Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | | | | | - Blane Townsend
- Luminostics, Inc., San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Miles Lee
- Luminostics, Inc., San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Van Thi Thanh Truong
- Medical School Center for Clinical Research and Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Claudia Pedroza
- Medical School Center for Clinical Research and Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Goux HJ, Chavan D, Crum M, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Corrigendum: Akkermansia muciniphila as a Model Case for the Development of an Improved Quantitative RPA Microbiome Assay. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:32. [PMID: 30949452 PMCID: PMC6438320 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Goux
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Tecnológico de Monterrey-ITESM Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
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25
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Jacinto MJ, Trabuco JRC, Vu BV, Garvey G, Khodadadi M, Azevedo AM, Aires-Barros MR, Chang L, Kourentzi K, Litvinov D, Willson RC. Correction: Enhancement of lateral flow assay performance by electromagnetic relocation of reporter particles. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213859. [PMID: 30861058 PMCID: PMC6414005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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26
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Chen H, Crum M, Chavan D, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Nanoparticle-Based Proximity Ligation Assay for Ultrasensitive, Quantitative Detection of Protein Biomarkers. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:31845-31849. [PMID: 30168312 PMCID: PMC6209106 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b01377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Proximity ligation assay (PLA) achieves extremely low limits of detection but requires the synthesis of antibody-DNA conjugates recognizing multiple target epitopes with appropriate proximity. In this work, we introduce a more generally applicable method by replacing antibody-DNA conjugates with nanoparticles which create ultradetectable PCR templates by capturing biotinylated oligonucleotides and catalyzing ligation. A competitive PCR readout was used to make the assay quantitative. We have demonstrated that NP-PLA can detect and quantitate human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels as low as 2.6 fM (∼0.1 pg/mL), nearly 1000 times more sensitive than the current state of the art ELISA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64849, Mexico
- Corresponding Author:
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27
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Goux HJ, Chavan D, Crum M, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Akkermansia muciniphila as a Model Case for the Development of an Improved Quantitative RPA Microbiome Assay. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:237. [PMID: 30050871 PMCID: PMC6052657 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the population levels of specific bacterial species within the gut microbiome have been linked to a variety of illnesses. Most assays that determine the relative abundance of specific taxa are based on amplification and sequencing of stable phylogenetic gene regions. Such lab-based analysis requires pre-analytical sample preservation and storage that have been shown to introduce biases in the characterization of microbial profiles. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification method that employs commercially available, easy-to-use freeze-dried enzyme pellets that can be used to analyze specimens rapidly in the field or clinic, using a portable fluorometer. Immediate analysis of diverse bacterial communities can lead to a more accurate quantification of relative bacterial abundance. In this study, we discovered that universal bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA primers give false-positive signals in RPA analysis because manufacturing host Escherichia coli DNA is present in the RPA reagents. The manufacturer of RPA reagents advises against developing an RPA assay that detects the presence of E. coli due to the presence of contaminating E. coli DNA in the reaction buffer (www.twistdx.co.uk/). We, therefore, explored four strategies to deplete or fragment extraneous DNA in RPA reagents while preserving enzyme activity: metal-chelate affinity chromatography, sonication, DNA cleavage using methylation-dependent restriction endonucleases, and DNA depletion using anti-DNA antibodies. Removing DNA with anti-DNA antibodies enabled the development of a quantitative RPA microbiome assay capable of determining the relative abundance of the physiologically-important bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila in human feces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Goux
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Tecnológico de Monterrey-ITESM Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
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28
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Kim J, Poling-Skutvik R, Trabuco JRC, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Conrad JC. Orientational binding modes of reporters in a viral-nanoparticle lateral flow assay. Analyst 2018; 142:55-64. [PMID: 27704069 DOI: 10.1039/c6an00567e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Using microscopy and image analysis, we characterize binding of filamentous viral nanoparticles to a fibrous affinity matrix as models for reporter capture in a lateral flow assay (LFA). M13 bacteriophage (M13) displaying an in vivo-biotinylated peptide (AviTag) genetically fused to the M13 tail protein p3 are functionalized with fluorescent labels. We functionalize glass fiber LFA membranes with antibodies to M13, which primarily capture M13 on the major p8 coat proteins, or with avidin, which captures M13 at the biotin-functionalized tail, and compare orientational modes of reporter capture for the side- versus tip-binding recognition interactions. The number of captured M13 is greater for side-binding than for tip-binding, as expected from the number of recognition groups. Whereas two-thirds of side-bound M13 captured by an anti-M13 antibody bind immediately after colliding with the membrane, tip-bound M13 prominently exhibit three additional orientational modes that require M13 to reorient to enable binding. These results are consistent with the idea that the elongated M13 shape couples with the complex flow field in an open and disordered fibrous LFA membrane to enhance capture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsu Kim
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Ryan Poling-Skutvik
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - João R C Trabuco
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA. and Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, USA and Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
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29
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Jacinto MJ, Trabuco JRC, Vu BV, Garvey G, Khodadady M, Azevedo AM, Aires-Barros MR, Chang L, Kourentzi K, Litvinov D, Willson RC. Enhancement of lateral flow assay performance by electromagnetic relocation of reporter particles. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0186782. [PMID: 29309424 PMCID: PMC5757911 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are a widely-used point-of care diagnostic format, but suffer from limited analytical sensitivity, especially when read by eye. It has recently been reported that LFA performance can be improved by using magnetic reporter particles and an external magnetic field applied at the test line. The mechanism of sensitivity/performance enhancement was suggested to be concentration/retardation of reporter particles at the test line. Here we demonstrate an additional mechanism of particle relocation where reporter particles from the lower depths of the translucent LFA strip relocate to more-visible locations nearer to the top surface, producing a more visible signal. With a magnetic field we observed an improvement in sensitivity of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) detection from 1.25 ng/mL to 0.31 ng/mL. We also observed an increase of the color intensity per particle in test lines when the magnetic field was present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria João Jacinto
- iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - João R. C. Trabuco
- iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Binh V. Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gavin Garvey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mohammad Khodadady
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Ana M. Azevedo
- iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Raquel Aires-Barros
- iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Long Chang
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
- * E-mail:
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30
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Raja B, Goux HJ, Marapadaga A, Rajagopalan S, Kourentzi K, Willson RC. Development of a panel of recombinase polymerase amplification assays for detection of common bacterial urinary tract infection pathogens. J Appl Microbiol 2017; 123:544-555. [PMID: 28510991 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To develop and evaluate the performance of a panel of isothermal real-time recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays for detection of common bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS The panel included RPAs for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. All five RPAs required reaction times of under 12 min to reach their lower limit of detection of 100 genomes per reaction or less, and did not cross-react with high concentrations of nontarget bacterial genomic DNA. In a 50-sample retrospective clinical study, the five-RPA assay panel was found to have a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 78-100%) and a sensitivity of 89% (95% CI, 75-96%) for UTI detection. CONCLUSIONS The analytical and clinical validity of RPA for the rapid and sensitive detection of common UTI pathogens was established. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Rapid identification of the causative pathogens of UTIs can be valuable in preventing serious complications by helping avoid the empirical treatment necessitated by traditional urine culture's 48-72-h turnaround time. The routine and widespread use of RPA to supplement or replace culture-based methods could profoundly impact UTI management and the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Raja
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H J Goux
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A Marapadaga
- Medical Center Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA.,De Novo Diagnostics, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S Rajagopalan
- Medical Center Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA.,De Novo Diagnostics, Houston, TX, USA
| | - K Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R C Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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31
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Liang YC, Chang L, Qiu W, Kolhatkar AG, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Lee TR, Zu Y, Willson R, Litvinov D. Ultrasensitive Magnetic Nanoparticle Detector for Biosensor Applications. Sensors (Basel) 2017; 17:s17061296. [PMID: 28587265 PMCID: PMC5492373 DOI: 10.3390/s17061296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ta/Ru/Co/Ru/Co/Cu/Co/Ni80Fe20/Ta spin-valve giant magnetoresistive (GMR) multilayers were deposited using UHV magnetron sputtering and optimized to achieve a 13% GMR ratio before patterning. The GMR multilayer was patterned into 12 sensor arrays using a combination of e-beam and optical lithographies. Arrays were constructed with 400 nm × 400 nm and 400 nm × 200 nm sensors for the detection of reporter nanoparticles. Nanoparticle detection was based on measuring the shift in high-to-low resistance switching field of the GMR sensors in the presence of magnetic particle(s). Due to shape anisotropy and the corresponding demag field, the resistance state switching fields were significantly larger and the switching field distribution significantly broader in the 400 nm × 200 nm sensors as compared to the 400 nm × 400 nm sensors. Thus, sensor arrays with 400 nm × 400 nm dimensions were used for the demonstration of particle detection. Detection of a single 225 nm Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle and a small number (~10) of 100 nm nanoparticles was demonstrated. With appropriate functionalization for biomolecular recognition, submicron GMR sensor arrays can serve as the basis of ultrasensitive chemical and biological sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chi Liang
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Long Chang
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Wenlan Qiu
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Materials Science & Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Arati G Kolhatkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - T Randall Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Youli Zu
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Richard Willson
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, NL 64849, Mexico.
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Materials Science & Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
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32
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Kim J, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Conrad JC. Increasing Binding Efficiency via Reporter Shape and Flux in a Viral Nanoparticle Lateral-Flow Assay. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:6878-6884. [PMID: 28150489 PMCID: PMC5334146 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b15728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To identify factors controlling the performance of reporter particles in a sensitive lateral-flow assay (LFA), we investigated the effect of the flux and shape of filamentous bacteriophage (phage) on the performance of phage LFAs. Phage of three different lengths and diameters were modified with biotin and AlexaFluor 555 as binding and read-out elements, respectively. The binding efficiencies of the functionalized phage were tested in a fibrous glass LFA membrane modified with avidin. The total binding rate, quantified using real-time particle counting and particle image velocimetry, decreased monotonically with the average bulk flux of phage through the membrane. At the pore scale, more phage bound in regions with faster local flow, confirming that both average and local flux increased binding. The number of bound phage increased with the aspect ratio of the phage and scaled with the phage surface area, consistent with a binding interaction controlled by the number of recognition elements on the surface. Together, these results indicate that increasing the likelihood that recognition elements on the surface of phage encounter the fibers enhances the assay binding efficiency and suggests one origin for the improved performance of nonspherical phage reporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsu Kim
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
- Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnologíco de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Jacinta C. Conrad
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
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33
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Kisley L, Patil U, Dhamane S, Kourentzi K, Tauzin LJ, Willson RC, Landes CF. Competitive multicomponent anion exchange adsorption of proteins at the single molecule level. Analyst 2017; 142:3127-3131. [DOI: 10.1039/c7an00701a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Super-resolution imaging of multicomponent, competitive adsorption demonstrates that competitors block certain ligands from the analyte without changing analyte adsorption kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kisley
- Department of Chemistry
- Rice University
- Houston
- USA
| | - Ujwal Patil
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Sagar Dhamane
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | | | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry
| | - Christy F. Landes
- Department of Chemistry
- Rice University
- Houston
- USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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34
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Xie M, Wang S, Singh A, Cooksey TJ, Marquez MD, Bhattarai A, Kourentzi K, Robertson ML. Fluorophore exchange kinetics in block copolymer micelles with varying solvent-fluorophore and solvent-polymer interactions. Soft Matter 2016; 12:6196-205. [PMID: 27383924 PMCID: PMC4973472 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm00297h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to characterize the kinetics of guest exchange in diblock copolymer micelles composed of poly(ethylene oxide-b-ε-caprolactone) (PEO-PCL) diblock copolymers in water/tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixtures which encapsulated fluorophores. The solvent composition (THF content) of the micelle solution was varied as a means of modulating the strength of interactions between the fluorophore and solvent as well as between the micelle core and solvent. A donor-acceptor fluorophore pair was employed consisting of 3,3'-dioctadecyloxacarbocyanine perchlorate (DiO, the donor) and 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI, the acceptor). Through the process of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), energy was transferred from the donor to acceptor when the fluorophores were in close proximity. A micelle solution containing DiO was mixed with a micelle solution containing DiI at t = 0, and the emission spectra of the mixed solution were monitored over time (at an excitation wavelength optimized for the donor). In micelle solutions containing 5 and 10 vol% THF in the bulk solvent, an increase in the acceptor peak intensity maximum occurred over time in the post-mixed solution, accompanied by a decrease in the donor peak intensity maximum, indicating the presence of energy transfer from the donor to the acceptor. At long times, the FRET ratios (acceptor peak intensity divided by the sum of the acceptor and donor peak intensities) were indistinguishable from that determined from pre-mixed micelle solutions of the same THF content (in pre-mixed solutions, DiO and DiI were encapsulated within the same micelle cores). In the micelle solution containing 20 vol% THF, the fluorophore exchange process occurred too quickly to be observed (the FRET ratios measured from the solutions mixed at t = 0 were commensurate to that measured from the pre-mixed solution). A time constant describing the guest exchange process was extracted from the time-dependence of the FRET ratio through fit of an exponential decay. An increase in the THF content in the micelle solution resulted in a decrease in the time constant, and the time constant varied over five orders of magnitude as the THF content was varied from 5-20 vol%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Xie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Shu Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Avantika Singh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Tyler J Cooksey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Maria D Marquez
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Ashish Bhattarai
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
| | - Megan L Robertson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, S222 Engineering Building 1, Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA.
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35
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Raja B, Pascente C, Knoop J, Shakarisaz D, Sherlock T, Kemper S, Kourentzi K, Renzi RF, Hatch AV, Olano J, Peng BH, Ruchhoeft P, Willson R. An embedded microretroreflector-based microfluidic immunoassay platform. Lab Chip 2016; 16:1625-35. [PMID: 27025227 PMCID: PMC5533084 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00038j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We present a microfluidic immunoassay platform based on the use of linear microretroreflectors embedded in a transparent polymer layer as an optical sensing surface, and micron-sized magnetic particles as light-blocking labels. Retroreflectors return light directly to its source and are highly detectable using inexpensive optics. The analyte is immuno-magnetically pre-concentrated from a sample and then captured on an antibody-modified microfluidic substrate comprised of embedded microretroreflectors, thereby blocking reflected light. Fluidic force discrimination is used to increase specificity of the assay, following which a difference imaging algorithm that can see single 3 μm magnetic particles without optical calibration is used to detect and quantify signal intensity from each sub-array of retroreflectors. We demonstrate the utility of embedded microretroreflectors as a new sensing modality through a proof-of-concept immunoassay for a small, obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen, Rickettsia conorii, the causative agent of Mediterranean Spotted Fever. The combination of large sensing area, optimized surface chemistry and microfluidic protocols, automated image capture and analysis, and high sensitivity of the difference imaging results in a sensitive immunoassay with a limit of detection of roughly 4000 R. conorii per mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balakrishnan Raja
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Carmen Pascente
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer Knoop
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - David Shakarisaz
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tim Sherlock
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Steven Kemper
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Ronald F Renzi
- Advanced Systems Engineering and Deployment, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Anson V Hatch
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Juan Olano
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Bi-Hung Peng
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Paul Ruchhoeft
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA. and Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
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36
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Chen H, Hagström AEV, Kim J, Garvey G, Paterson A, Ruiz-Ruiz F, Raja B, Strych U, Rito-Palomares M, Kourentzi K, Conrad JC, Atmar RL, Willson RC. Flotation Immunoassay: Masking the Signal from Free Reporters in Sandwich Immunoassays. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24297. [PMID: 27075635 PMCID: PMC4830940 DOI: 10.1038/srep24297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we demonstrate that signal-masking reagents together with appropriate capture antibody carriers can eliminate the washing steps in sandwich immunoassays. A flotation immunoassay (FI) platform was developed with horseradish peroxidase chemiluminescence as the reporter system, the dye Brilliant Blue FCF as the signal-masking reagent, and buoyant silica micro-bubbles as the capture antibody carriers. Only reporters captured on micro-bubbles float above the dye and become visible in an analyte-dependent manner. These FIs are capable of detecting proteins down to attomole levels and as few as 10(6) virus particles. This signal-masking strategy represents a novel approach to simple, sensitive and quantitative immunoassays in both laboratory and point-of-care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- University of Houston, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Anna E. V. Hagström
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Jinsu Kim
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Gavin Garvey
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Andrew Paterson
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Federico Ruiz-Ruiz
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64849, Mexico
| | - Balakrishnan Raja
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marco Rito-Palomares
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64849, Mexico
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Jacinta C. Conrad
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Robert L. Atmar
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- University of Houston, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- University of Houston, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64849, Mexico
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37
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Kolhatkar AG, Jamison AC, Nekrashevich I, Kourentzi K, Litvinov D, Brazdeikis A, Willson RC, Randall Lee T. Enzymatic conversion of magnetic nanoparticles to a non-magnetic precipitate: a new approach to magnetic sensing. Analyst 2016; 141:5246-51. [DOI: 10.1039/c6an00709k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic sensing utilizes loss of signal via enzymatic transformation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Arati G. Kolhatkar
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Andrew C. Jamison
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Ivan Nekrashevich
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| | - Audrius Brazdeikis
- Department of Physics and Texas Center for Superconductivity
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry
| | - T. Randall Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity
- University of Houston
- Houston
- USA
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38
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Adhikari M, Strych U, Kim J, Goux H, Dhamane S, Poongavanam MV, Hagström AEV, Kourentzi K, Conrad JC, Willson RC. Aptamer-Phage Reporters for Ultrasensitive Lateral Flow Assays. Anal Chem 2015; 87:11660-5. [PMID: 26456715 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b00702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We introduce the modification of bacteriophage particles with aptamers for use as bioanalytical reporters, and demonstrate the use of these particles in ultrasensitive lateral flow assays. M13 phage displaying an in vivo biotinylatable peptide (AviTag) genetically fused to the phage tail protein pIII were used as reporter particle scaffolds, with biotinylated aptamers attached via avidin-biotin linkages, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) reporter enzymes covalently attached to the pVIII coat protein. These modified viral nanoparticles were used in immunochromatographic sandwich assays for the direct detection of IgE and of the penicillin-binding protein from Staphylococcus aureus (PBP2a). We also developed an additional lateral flow assay for IgE, in which the analyte is sandwiched between immobilized anti-IgE antibodies and aptamer-bearing reporter phage modified with HRP. The limit of detection of this LFA was 0.13 ng/mL IgE, ∼100 times lower than those of previously reported IgE assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meena Adhikari
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Jinsu Kim
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Heather Goux
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Sagar Dhamane
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | | | - Anna E V Hagström
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77004, United States.,Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States.,Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey , Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
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Kisley L, Poongavanam MV, Kourentzi K, Willson RC, Landes CF. pH-dependence of single-protein adsorption and diffusion at a liquid chromatographic interface. J Sep Sci 2015; 39:682-8. [DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201500809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kisley
- Department of Chemistry; Rice University; Houston TX USA
| | | | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; University of Houston; Houston TX USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry; University of Houston; Houston TX USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; University of Houston; Houston TX USA
- Houston Methodist Research Institute; Houston TX USA
- Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos; Tecnológico de Monterrey; Monterrey NL Mexico
| | - Christy F. Landes
- Department of Chemistry; Rice University; Houston TX USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Rice University; Houston TX USA
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40
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Poongavanam MV, Kisley L, Kourentzi K, Landes CF, Willson RC. Ensemble and single-molecule biophysical characterization of D17.4 DNA aptamer-IgE interactions. Biochim Biophys Acta 2015; 1864:154-64. [PMID: 26307469 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Revised: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The IgE-binding DNA aptamer 17.4 is known to inhibit the interaction of IgE with the high-affinity IgE Fc receptor FcεRI. While this and other aptamers have been widely used and studied, there has been relatively little investigation of the kinetics and energetics of their interactions with their targets, by either single-molecule or ensemble methods. METHODS The dissociation kinetics of the D17.4/IgE complex and the effects of temperature and ionic strength were studied using fluorescence anisotropy and single-molecule spectroscopy, and activation parameters calculated. RESULTS The dissociation of D17.4/IgE complex showed a strong dependence on temperature and salt concentration. The koff of D17.4/IgE complex was calculated to be (2.92±0.18)×10(-3) s(-1) at 50 mM NaCl, and (1.44±0.02)×10(-2) s(-1) at 300 mM NaCl, both in 1 mM MgCl2 and 25°C. The dissociation activation energy for the D17.4/IgE complex, Ea, was 16.0±1.9 kcal mol(-1) at 50 mM NaCl and 1 mM MgCl2. Interestingly, we found that the C19A mutant of D17.4 with stabilized stem structure showed slower dissociation kinetics compared to D17.4. Single-molecule observations of surface-immobilized D17.4/IgE showed much faster dissociation kinetics, and heterogeneity not observable by ensemble techniques. CONCLUSIONS The increasing koff value with increasing salt concentration is attributed to the electrostatic interactions between D17.4/IgE. We found that both the changes in activation enthalpy and activation entropy are insignificant with increasing NaCl concentration. The slower dissociation of the mutant C19A/IgE complex is likely due to the enhanced stability of the aptamer. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The activation parameters obtained by applying transition state analysis to kinetic data can provide details on mechanisms of molecular recognition and have applications in drug design. Single-molecule dissociation kinetics showed greater kinetic complexity than was observed in the ensemble in-solution systems, potentially reflecting conformational heterogeneity of the aptamer. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Physiological Enzymology and Protein Functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lydia Kisley
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX77005-1827, USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA
| | - Christy F Landes
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX77005-1827, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005-1827, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, TX 77204-4004, USA; Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
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41
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Hagström AEV, Garvey G, Paterson AS, Dhamane S, Adhikari M, Estes MK, Strych U, Kourentzi K, Atmar RL, Willson RC. Sensitive detection of norovirus using phage nanoparticle reporters in lateral-flow assay. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126571. [PMID: 25978622 PMCID: PMC4433186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Noroviruses are recognized worldwide as the principal cause of acute, non-bacterial gastroenteritis, resulting in 19-21 million cases of disease every year in the United States. Noroviruses have a very low infectious dose, a short incubation period, high resistance to traditional disinfection techniques and multiple modes of transmission, making early, point-of-care detection essential for controlling the spread of the disease. The traditional diagnostic tools, electron microscopy, RT-PCR and ELISA require sophisticated and expensive instrumentation, and are considered too laborious and slow to be useful during severe outbreaks. In this paper we describe the development of a new, rapid and sensitive lateral-flow assay using labeled phage particles for the detection of the prototypical norovirus GI.1 (Norwalk), with a limit of detection of 107 virus-like particles per mL, one hundred-fold lower than a conventional gold nanoparticle lateral-flow assay using the same antibody pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E. V. Hagström
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gavin Garvey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andrew S. Paterson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sagar Dhamane
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Meena Adhikari
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mary K. Estes
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Robert L. Atmar
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
- * E-mail:
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42
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Kolhatkar AG, Dannongoda C, Kourentzi K, Jamison AC, Nekrashevich I, Kar A, Cacao E, Strych U, Rusakova I, Martirosyan KS, Litvinov D, Lee TR, Willson RC. Enzymatic synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:7535-50. [PMID: 25854425 PMCID: PMC4425032 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16047535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the first in vitro enzymatic synthesis of paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic nanoparticles toward magnetic ELISA reporting. With our procedure, alkaline phosphatase catalyzes the dephosphorylation of l-ascorbic-2-phosphate, which then serves as a reducing agent for salts of iron, gadolinium, and holmium, forming magnetic precipitates of Fe45±14Gd5±2O50±15 and Fe42±4Ho6±4O52±5. The nanoparticles were found to be paramagnetic at 300 K and antiferromagnetic under 25 K. Although weakly magnetic at 300 K, the room-temperature magnetization of the nanoparticles found here is considerably greater than that of analogous chemically-synthesized LnxFeyOz (Ln = Gd, Ho) samples reported previously. At 5 K, the nanoparticles showed a significantly higher saturation magnetization of 45 and 30 emu/g for Fe45±14Gd5±2O50±15 and Fe42±4Ho6±4O52±5, respectively. Our approach of enzymatically synthesizing magnetic labels reduces the cost and avoids diffusional mass-transfer limitations associated with pre-synthesized magnetic reporter particles, while retaining the advantages of magnetic sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arati G Kolhatkar
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Chamath Dannongoda
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Andrew C Jamison
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Ivan Nekrashevich
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Archana Kar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Eliedonna Cacao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Irene Rusakova
- Department of Physics and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Karen S Martirosyan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA.
| | - Dmitri Litvinov
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - T Randall Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
- Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, NL 64849, Mexico.
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43
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Kim J, Adhikari M, Dhamane S, Hagström AEV, Kourentzi K, Strych U, Willson RC, Conrad JC. Detection of viruses by counting single fluorescent genetically biotinylated reporter immunophage using a lateral flow assay. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2015; 7:2891-8. [PMID: 25581289 PMCID: PMC4334444 DOI: 10.1021/am5082556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrated a lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) for detection of viruses using fluorescently labeled M13 bacteriophage as reporters and single-reporter counting as the readout. AviTag-biotinylated M13 phage were functionalized with antibodies using avidin-biotin conjugation and fluorescently labeled with AlexaFluor 555. Individual phage bound to target viruses (here MS2 as a model) captured on an LFA membrane strip were imaged using epi-fluorescence microscopy. Using automated image processing, we counted the number of bound phage in micrographs as a function of target concentration. The resultant assay was more sensitive than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and traditional colloidal-gold nanoparticle LFAs for direct detection of viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsu Kim
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
| | - Meena Adhikari
- Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
| | - Sagar Dhamane
- Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
| | - Anna E. V. Hagström
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Section of Pediatric Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
- Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Jacinta C. Conrad
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204 USA
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44
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Paterson A, Raja B, Garvey G, Kolhatkar A, Hagström AEV, Kourentzi K, Lee TR, Willson RC. Persistent luminescence strontium aluminate nanoparticles as reporters in lateral flow assays. Anal Chem 2014; 86:9481-8. [PMID: 25247754 PMCID: PMC4188266 DOI: 10.1021/ac5012624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Demand for highly sensitive, robust diagnostics and environmental monitoring methods has led to extensive research in improving reporter technologies. Inorganic phosphorescent materials exhibiting persistent luminescence are commonly found in electroluminescent displays and glowing paints but are not widely used as reporters in diagnostic assays. Persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) offer advantages over conventional photoluminescent probes, including the potential for enhanced sensitivity by collecting time-resolved measurements or images with decreased background autofluorescence while eliminating the need for expensive optical hardware, superior resistance to photobleaching, amenability to quantitation, and facile bioconjugation schemes. We isolated rare-earth doped strontium aluminate PLNPs from larger-particle commercial materials by wet milling and differential sedimentation and water-stabilized the particles by silica encapsulation using a modified Stöber process. Surface treatment with aldehyde silane followed by reductive amination with heterobifunctional amine-poly(ethylene glycol)-carboxyl allowed covalent attachment of proteins to the particles using standard carbodiimide chemistry. NeutrAvidin PLNPs were used in lateral flow assays (LFAs) with biotinylated lysozyme as a model analyte in buffer and monoclonal anti-lysozyme HyHEL-5 antibodies at the test line. Preliminary experiments revealed a limit of detection below 100 pg/mL using the NeutrAvidin PLNPs, which was approximately an order of magnitude more sensitive than colloidal gold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew
S. Paterson
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Balakrishnan Raja
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Gavin Garvey
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Arati Kolhatkar
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Anna E. V. Hagström
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - T. Randall Lee
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
- Department
of Biology and Biochemistry, University
of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United
States
- Centro
de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico
de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64849, Mexico
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45
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Litvinov J, Hagström AEV, Lopez Y, Adhikari M, Kourentzi K, Strych U, Monzon FA, Foster W, Cagle PT, Willson RC. Ultrasensitive immuno-detection using viral nanoparticles with modular assembly using genetically-directed biotinylation. Biotechnol Lett 2014; 36:1863-1868. [PMID: 24930095 DOI: 10.1007/sl0529-014-1555-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel, modular approach to immuno-detection based on antibody recognition and PCR read-out that employs antibody-conjugated bacteriophage and easily-manipulated non-pathogenic viruses as affinity agents. Our platform employs phage genetically tagged for in vivo biotinylation during phage maturation that can easily be linked, through avidin, to any biotinylated affinity agent, including full-length antibodies, peptides, lectins or aptamers. The presence of analyte is reported with high sensitivity through real-time PCR. This approach avoids the need to clone antibody-encoding DNA fragments, allows the use of full-length, high affinity antibodies and, by having DNA reporters naturally encapsulated inside the bacteriophage, greatly reduces nonspecific binding of DNA. We validate the efficacy of this new approach through the detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, a known angiogenic cancer biomarker protein, at attomolar concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Litvinov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, TX, 77204, USA,
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46
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Garvey G, Shakarisaz D, Ruiz-Ruiz F, Hagström AEV, Raja B, Pascente C, Kar A, Kourentzi K, Rito-Palomares M, Ruchhoeft P, Willson RC. Microretroreflector-sedimentation immunoassays for pathogen detection. Anal Chem 2014; 86:9029-35. [PMID: 25133758 PMCID: PMC4165457 DOI: 10.1021/ac501491t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Point-of-care detection of pathogens
is medically valuable but
poses challenging trade-offs between instrument complexity and clinical
and analytical sensitivity. Here we introduce a diagnostic platform
utilizing lithographically fabricated micron-scale forms of cubic
retroreflectors, arguably one of the most optically detectable human
artifacts, as reporter labels for use in sensitive immunoassays. We
demonstrate the applicability of this novel optical label in a simple
assay format in which retroreflector cubes are first mixed with the
sample. The cubes are then allowed to settle onto an immuno-capture
surface, followed by inversion for gravity-driven removal of nonspecifically
bound cubes. Cubes bridged to the capture surface by the analyte are
detected using inexpensive, low-numerical aperture optics. For model
bacterial and viral pathogens, sensitivity in 10% human serum was
found to be 104 bacterial cells/mL and 104 virus
particles/mL, consistent with clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Garvey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, †Materials Engineering Program, ‡Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ⊥Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston , 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
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47
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Litvinov J, Hagström AEV, Lopez Y, Adhikari M, Kourentzi K, Strych U, Monzon FA, Foster W, Cagle PT, Willson RC. Ultrasensitive immuno-detection using viral nanoparticles with modular assembly using genetically-directed biotinylation. Biotechnol Lett 2014; 36:1863-8. [PMID: 24930095 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-014-1555-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel, modular approach to immuno-detection based on antibody recognition and PCR read-out that employs antibody-conjugated bacteriophage and easily-manipulated non-pathogenic viruses as affinity agents. Our platform employs phage genetically tagged for in vivo biotinylation during phage maturation that can easily be linked, through avidin, to any biotinylated affinity agent, including full-length antibodies, peptides, lectins or aptamers. The presence of analyte is reported with high sensitivity through real-time PCR. This approach avoids the need to clone antibody-encoding DNA fragments, allows the use of full-length, high affinity antibodies and, by having DNA reporters naturally encapsulated inside the bacteriophage, greatly reduces nonspecific binding of DNA. We validate the efficacy of this new approach through the detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, a known angiogenic cancer biomarker protein, at attomolar concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Litvinov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, TX, 77204, USA,
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48
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Adhikari M, Dhamane S, Hagström AEV, Garvey G, Chen WH, Kourentzi K, Strych U, Willson RC. Functionalized viral nanoparticles as ultrasensitive reporters in lateral-flow assays. Analyst 2014; 138:5584-7. [PMID: 23905160 DOI: 10.1039/c3an00891f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Two types of viral nanoparticles were functionalized with target-specific antibodies and multiple copies of an enzymatic reporter (horseradish peroxidase). The particles were successfully integrated into an immunochromatographic assay detecting MS2 bacteriophage, a model for viral pathogens. The sensitivity of the assay was greatly superior to conventional gold nanoparticle lateral flow assays, and results could easily be evaluated, even without advanced lab instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meena Adhikari
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA
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49
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Cacao E, Sherlock T, Nasrullah A, Kemper S, Knoop J, Kourentzi K, Ruchhoeft P, Stein GE, Atmar RL, Willson RC. Helium beam shadowing for high spatial resolution patterning of antibodies on microstructured diagnostic surfaces. Biointerphases 2014; 8:9. [PMID: 24706125 PMCID: PMC4000555 DOI: 10.1186/1559-4106-8-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed a technique for the high-resolution, self-aligning, and high-throughput patterning of antibody binding functionality on surfaces by selectively changing the reactivity of protein-coated surfaces in specific regions of a workpiece with a beam of energetic helium particles. The exposed areas are passivated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and no longer bind the antigen. We demonstrate that patterns can be formed (1) by using a stencil mask with etched openings that forms a patterned exposure, or (2) by using angled exposure to cast shadows of existing raised microstructures on the surface to form self-aligned patterns. We demonstrate the efficacy of this process through the patterning of anti-lysozyme, anti-Norwalk virus, and anti-Escherichia coli antibodies and the subsequent detection of each of their targets by the enzyme-mediated formation of colored or silver deposits, and also by binding of gold nanoparticles. The process allows for the patterning of three-dimensional structures by inclining the sample relative to the beam so that the shadowed regions remain unaltered. We demonstrate that the resolution of the patterning process is of the order of hundreds of nanometers, and that the approach is well-suited for high throughput patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliedonna Cacao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA,
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50
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Kisley L, Chen J, Mansur AP, Dominguez-Medina S, Kulla E, Kang MK, Shuang B, Kourentzi K, Poongavanam MV, Dhamane S, Willson RC, Landes CF. High ionic strength narrows the population of sites participating in protein ion-exchange adsorption: a single-molecule study. J Chromatogr A 2014; 1343:135-42. [PMID: 24751557 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2014.03.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The retention and elution of proteins in ion-exchange chromatography is routinely controlled by adjusting the mobile phase salt concentration. It has repeatedly been observed, as judged from adsorption isotherms, that the apparent heterogeneity of adsorption is lower at more-eluting, higher ionic strength. Here, we present an investigation into the mechanism of this phenomenon using a single-molecule, super-resolution imaging technique called motion-blur Points Accumulation for Imaging in Nanoscale Topography (mbPAINT). We observed that the number of functional adsorption sites was smaller at high ionic strength and that these sites had reduced desorption kinetic heterogeneity, and thus narrower predicted elution profiles, for the anion-exchange adsorption of α-lactalbumin on an agarose-supported, clustered-charge ligand stationary phase. Explanations for the narrowing of the functional population such as inter-protein interactions and protein or support structural changes were investigated through kinetic analysis, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and microscopy of agarose microbeads, respectively. The results suggest the reduction of heterogeneity is due to both electrostatic screening between the protein and ligand and tuning the steric availability within the agarose support. Overall, we have shown that single molecule spectroscopy can aid in understanding the influence of ionic strength on the population of functional adsorbent sites participating in the ion-exchange chromatographic separation of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kisley
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
| | - Jixin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
| | - Andrea P Mansur
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
| | | | - Eliona Kulla
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
| | - Marci K Kang
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
| | - Bo Shuang
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004, USA.
| | | | - Sagar Dhamane
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004, USA.
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004, USA; Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004, USA; Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey NL 64849, Mexico.
| | - Christy F Landes
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
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