Silver nanoparticle enhanced immunoassays: one step real time kinetic assay for insulin in serum.

Silver nanoparticle enhanced fluorescence is introduced as an alternative method to surface plasmon resonance techniques for real time monitoring of biorecognitive interactions or immunoassays. This method relies on the phenomenon that an electromagnetic near field is generated upon illumination on the surface of silver nanoparticles. The interaction of this field with nearby fluorophores results in fluorescence enhancement.