Ti3C2Tx MXene -facilitated non-selective trapping effect: Efficient SERS detection of exosomal PD-L1

Biosensors developed through a sandwich approach have demonstrated favorable detection performance for exosomal programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (ExoPD-L1) detection. However, the reported PD-L1 antibodies, peptides, and aptamers utilized in these biosensors typically bind to the extracellular region, with overlapping binding sites that severely constrain the fabrication of biosensors. In this study, we present a simple approach to specifically identify and analyze ExoPD-L1 through the non-selective trapping effect of Ti3C2TX (X=-O, -F, -OH) MXene on exosomes via the formation of Ti-O-P complexation, and the selective capture of peptide-functionalized Au@MPBA (4-Mercaptophenylboronic acid) @SiO2 surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags on ExoPD-L1. The biosensor delivered a both hypersensitive and reliable performance in exosome detection with a low limit of detection (20.74 particles/mL) in the linear range of 102 to 5×106 particles/mL. Furthermore, the biosensor demonstrated excellent stability and interference resistance in detecting ExoPD-L1 in clinical serum samples, enabling the easy differentiation of breast cancer patients from healthy controls. This work provides new insights into the design of biosensors for exosome detection and can serve as a replicable template for sandwich immunoassay detection for other types of sensors, including but not limited to SERS.

Fabrication of an Ag-based SERS nanotag for histamine quantitative detection

A crucial issue in analytical science and physiology is the detection of histamine with high sensitivity, specificity and credibility, which served as an important neurotransmitter in biofluids. Despite the high sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) at the level of single molecule, there are still challenges in providing high sensitivity for histamine with a small cross section. For the selective detection of histamine using SERS, a highly sensitive sandwich structure substrate combining Fe₃O₄ and an Ag-based SERS nanotag was developed. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-COOH served as a capture component for enriching histamine. Upon functionalized Ag nanoparticles with glycine (Gly) and (3-Aminopheyonyl) boronic acid (APBA), they were then used to connect with histamine and serve as a SERS nanotag, respectively. A linear relationship between the Raman intensity and the histamine concentration was observed over the range 10^-4-10^-8 M with a limit of detection of 7.24 × 10^-9 M. This methodology also exhibited good selectivity in the presence of other neurotransmitters. With our new approach, histamine can be detected sensitively and reliably in fish samples, which indicates the potential prospect of an effective method for analyzing histamine in complex specimens.

Core-shell SERS nanotags-based western blot

Western blot (WB) is the most commonly used scheme for protein identification in life science, but it still faces great challenges in the accurate quantitative detection of low-abundance proteins. Here, we proposed a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based Western blot (SERS-WB) to solve this challenge. SERS nanotags were used as quantitative labels of proteins, which were composed of gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles, and Nile blue A (NBA) molecules were anchored on the interface of the core and shell. The results show that the SERS-WB possessed excellent sensitivity with detection limit of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) protein of 0.15 pg, as well as wide linear dynamic range (LDR) of 382 fg to 382 ng. In addition, the target protein on nitrocellulose (NC) membrane could be directly identified by colorimetric signal due to the aggregation effect of nanoparticles, which greatly simplifies the procedure. This as-proposed strategy will bring new thoughts to technological innovation of WB.

Sensitive and reproducible detection of SARS-CoV-2 using SERS-based microdroplet sensor

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based assays have been recently developed to overcome the low detection sensitivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SERS-based assays using magnetic beads in microtubes slightly improved the limit of detection (LoD) for SARS-CoV-2. However, the sensitivity and reproducibility of the method are still insufficient for reliable SARS-CoV-2 detection. In this study, we developed a SERS-based microdroplet sensor to dramatically improve the LoD and reproducibility of SARS-CoV-2 detection. Raman signals were measured for SERS nanotags in 140 droplets passing through a laser focal volume fixed at the center of the channel for 15 s. A comparison of the Raman signals of SERS nanotags measured in a microtube with those measured for multiple droplets in the microfluidic channel revealed that the LoD and coefficient of variation significantly improved from 36 to 0.22 PFU/mL and 21.2% to 1.79%, respectively. This improvement resulted from the ensemble average effects because the signals were measured for SERS nanotags in multiple droplets. Moreover, the total assay time decreased from 30 to 10 min. A clinical test was performed on patient samples to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the SERS-based microdroplet sensor. The assay results agreed well with those measured by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The proposed SERS-based microdroplet sensor is expected to be used as a new point-of-care diagnostic platform for quick and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the field.

Quantitative Detection of Mastitis Factor IL-6 in Dairy Cow Using the SERS Improved Immunofiltration Assay

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is generally used as a biomarker for the evaluation of inflammatory infection in humans and animals. However, there is no approach for the on-site and rapid detection of IL-6 for the monitoring of mastitis in dairy farm scenarios. A rapid and highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) immunofiltration assay (IFA) for IL-6 detection was developed in the present study. In this assay, a high sensitivity gold core silver shell SERS nanotag with Raman molecule 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) embedded into the gap was fabricated for labelling. Through the immuno-specific combination of the antigen and antibody, antibody conjugated SERS nanotags were captured on the test zone, which facilitated the SERS measurement. The quantitation of IL-6 was performed by the readout Raman signal in the test region. The results showed that the detection limit (LOD) of IL-6 in milk was 0.35 pg mL⁻¹, which was far below the threshold value of 254.32 pg mL⁻¹. The recovery of the spiking experiment was 87.0–102.7%, with coefficients of variation below 9.0% demonstrating high assay accuracy and precision. We believe the immunosensor developed in the current study could be a promising tool for the rapid assessment of mastitis by detecting milk IL-6 in dairy cows. Moreover, this versatile immunosensor could also be applied for the detection of a wide range of analytes in dairy cow healthy monitoring.

Ultrasensitive and facile detection of multiple trace antibiotics with magnetic nanoparticles and core-shell nanostar SERS nanotags

Ultrasensitive, multiplex, rapid, and accurate quantitative determination of trace antibiotics remains a challenging issue, which is of importance to public health and safety. Herein, we presented a multiplex strategy based on magnetic nanoparticles and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags for simultaneous detection of chloramphenicol (CAP) and tetracycline (TTC). In practice, SERS nanotags based on Raman reporter probes (RRPs) encoded gold-silver core-shell nanostars were used as detection labels for identifying different types of antibiotics, and the magnetic nanoparticles could be separated simply by magnetic force, which significantly improves the detection efficiency, reduces the analysis cost, and simplifies the operation. Our results demonstrate that the as-proposed assay possesses the capacities of high sensitivity and multiplexing with the limits of detection (LODs) for CAP and TTC of 159.49 and 294.12 fg mL^-1, respectively, as well as good stability and reproducibility, and high selectivity and reliability. We believe that this strategy holds a great promising perspective for the detection of trace amounts of antibiotics in microsystems, which is crucial to our life. Additionally, the assay can also be used to detect other illegal additives by altering the appropriate antibodies or aptamers.

Culture-Free Detection of Bacterial Pathogens on Plasmonic Nanopillar Arrays Using Rapid Raman Mapping

We utilized a fast Raman spectral mapping technique for fast detection of bacterial pathogens. Three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic nanopillar arrays were fabricated using the nanolithography-free process consisting of maskless Ar plasma treatment of a polyethylene terephthalate substrate and subsequent metal deposition. Bacterial pathogens were immobilized on the positively charged poly(l-lysine)-coated 3D plasmonic substrate through electrostatic interactions. Then, the bacterial surfaces were selectively labeled with antibody-conjugated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags, and Raman mapping images were collected and statistically analyzed for quantitative analysis of bacteria. Salmonella typhimurium was selected as a model pathogen bacterium to confirm the efficacy of our SERS imaging technique. Minimum number of Raman mapping points with statistical reliability was determined to reduce assay time. It was possible to get a statistically reliable standard calibration curve for 529 pixels (laser spot with 60 μm interval), which required a total mapping time of 45 min to get a standard calibration curve for five different concentrations of bacteria in the 0 to 10⁶ CFU/mL range. No amplification step was necessary for quantification because low-abundance target bacteria could be measured using the Raman spectral mapping technique. Therefore, this approach allows accurate quantification of bacterial pathogens without any culturing or enrichment process.

Gold Superparticles Functionalized with Azobenzene Derivatives: SERS Nanotags with Strong Signals

The surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) nanotag was proposed as a substitute for fluorescent dye for imaging and biosensors several decades ago. However, its weak signal and poor reproducibility has hindered its application. Here, we report a new strategy to form Au superparticles (AuSPs) with high SERS enhancement via one-pot formation and self-assembly of Au nanoparticles (NPs). An azobenzene-carrying Raman reporter was synthesized to exhibit a large Raman cross-section and multiple bands. The self-assembly of the Raman reporter on AuSPs generated SERS nanotags with intense signals. A Raman reporter carrying boronic acid and azobenzene groups displayed six distinctive bands. Its corresponding SERS nanotag demonstrated a high sensing ability toward glycoprotein through aggregation-induced SERS enhancement or as a substitute for labeled antibodies in an immunoassay of the glycoprotein.

Sensitive multiplex detection of serological liver cancer biomarkers using SERS-active photonic crystal fiber probe

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy possesses the most promising advantage of multiplex detection for biosensing applications, which is achieved due to the narrow 'fingerprint' Raman spectra from the analyte molecules. We developed an ultrasensitive platform for the multiplex detection of cancer biomarkers by combining the SERS technique with a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF). Axially aligned air channels inside the HCPCF provide an excellent platform for optical sensing using SERS. In addition to the flexibility of optical fibers, HCPCF provides better light confinement and a larger interaction length for the guided light and the analyte, resulting in an improvement in sensitivity to detect low concentrations of bioanalytes in extremely low sample volumes. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate the sensitive multiplex detection of biomarkers immobilized inside the HCPCF using antibody-conjugated SERS-active nanoparticles (SERS nanotags). As a proof-of-concept for targeted multiplex detection, initially we carried out the sensing of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) biomarker in oral squamous carcinoma cell lysate using three different SERS nanotags. Subsequently, we also achieved simultaneous detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) biomarkers-alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) secreted in the supernatant from Hep3b cancer cell line. Using a SERS-HCPCF sensing platform, we could successfully demonstrate the multiplex detection in an extremely low sample volume of ∼20 nL. In future, this study may lead to sensitive biosensing platform for the low concentration detection of biomarkers in an extremely low sample volume of body fluids to achieve early diagnosis of multiple diseases. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).