title: Rational design of a bisphenol A aptamer selective surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoprobe.
abstract: Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) optical nanoprobes offer a number of advantages for ultrasensitive analyte detection. These functionalized colloidal nanoparticles are a multifunctional assay component. providing a platform for conjugation to spectral tags, stabilizing polymers, and biorecognition elements such as aptamers or antibodies. We demonstrate the design and characterization of a SERS-active nanoprobe and investigate the nanoparticles' biorecognition capabilities for use in a competitive binding assay. Specifically, the nanoprobe is designed for the quantification of bisphenol A (BPA) levels in the blood after human exposure to the toxin in food and beverage plastic packaging. The nanoprobes demonstrated specific affinity to a BPA aptamer with a dissociation constant Kd of 54 nM, and provided a dose-dependent SERS spectra with a limit of detection of 3 nM. Our conjugation approach shows the versatility of colloidal nanoparticles in assay development, acting as detectable spectral tagging elements and biologically active ligands concurrently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University , College Station, Texas 77843, United States.
authors.forename: Haley L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Michael V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Pishko
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Gerard L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Coté
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000097:blood*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010636:Phenols / Q000097:blood*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013499:Surface Properties; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D010636:Phenols; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds