Aptasensors for Point-of-Care Detection of Small Molecules.

Aptamers, a group of nucleic acids which can specifically bind to a target molecule, have drawn extensive interest over the past few decades. For analytics, aptamers represent a viable alternative to gold-standard antibodies due to their oligonucleic nature combined with advantageous properties, including higher stability in harsh environments and longer shelf-life. Indeed, over the last decade, aptamers have been used in numerous bioanalytical assays and in various point-of-care testing (POCT) platforms.

Characterization of an Aptamer Directed against 25-Hydroxyvitamin D for the Development of a Competitive Aptamer-Based Assay.

Detection of the small molecule 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) as the most relevant marker for vitamin D supply suffers from a high variability of results using the current detection methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and immunoassays. A new detection approach using a highly specific aptamer directed against 25(OH)D was established in this study based on the target-induced dissociation (TID) sensing approach. In this work, the aptamer was investigated regarding its structural properties as well as its binding affinity by using microscale thermophoresis (MST).

A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors.

Buried explosive material, e.g., landmines, represent a severe issue for human safety all over the world.