Nanoparticle-Based biobarcode amplification assay (BCA) for sensitive and early detection of human immunodeficiency type 1 capsid (p24) antigen.

Nanotechnology-based techniques are being widely evaluated in medical testing and could provide a new generation of diagnostic assays due to their high degrees of sensitivity, high specificity, multiplexing capabilities, and ability to operate without enzymes. In this article, we have modified a nanoparticle-based biobarcode amplification (BCA) assay for early and sensitive detection of HIV-1 capsid (p24) antigen by using antip24 antibody-coated microplates to capture viral antigen (p24) and streptavidin-coated nanoparticle-based biobarcode DNAs for signal amplification, followed by detection using a chip-based scanometric method. The modified BCA assay exhibited a linear dose-dependent pattern within the detection range of 0.

SNP identification in unamplified human genomic DNA with gold nanoparticle probes.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) comprise the most abundant source of genetic variation in the human genome. SNPs may be linked to genetic predispositions, frank disorders or adverse drug responses, or they may serve as genetic markers in linkage disequilibrium analysis. Thus far, established SNP detection techniques have utilized enzymes to meet the sensitivity and specificity requirements needed to overcome the high complexity of the human genome.

Homogeneous detection of unamplified genomic DNA sequences based on colorimetric scatter of gold nanoparticle probes.

Nucleic acid diagnostics is dominated by fluorescence-based assays that use complex and expensive enzyme-based target or signal-amplification procedures. Many clinical diagnostic applications will require simpler, inexpensive assays that can be done in a screening mode. We have developed a 'spot-and-read' colorimetric detection method for identifying nucleic acid sequences based on the distance-dependent optical properties of gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticle-based detection of genomic DNA targets on microarrays using a novel optical detection system.

The development of a nanoparticle-based detection methodology for sensitive and specific DNA-based diagnostic applications is described. The technology utilizes gold nanoparticles derivatized with thiol modified oligonucleotides that are designed to bind complementary DNA targets. A glass surface with arrays of immobilized oligonucleotide capture sequences is used to capture DNA targets, which are then detected via hybridization to the gold nanoparticle probes.