Combining Aptamer Technique with Nanotechnology for Ultrasensitive Small Molecule and Protein Detection

Techniques based on aptamers are taking a very significant role in the development of specific detectors for different kinds of analytes recently. Nanoparticles have been demonstrated to greatly enhance biosensor signals. We have combined aptamer technique with nanotechnology to create ultrasensitive biosensors: 1) Using Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as competitive reagent, we were able to substitute the application of antibody in SPR detection of small molecules based on Indirect Competitive Inhibition Assay (ICIA); 2) Aptamer-Au NPs conjugates was used as amplification reagent to enhance the SPR and electrochemical signal for the detection of IgE. These detection schemes are expected to find wide applications in rapid detection of pathogens, toxins, pollutants, drugs and explosives.