RUI: Charge Modified Antibody for Robust and Directional Adsorption onto Gold Nanoparticles

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The need to protect against biological threats and to develop effective drug therapies requires the development of novel detection strategies. The unique properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) make them candidates for materials used in detection technologies. Critical for the success of emerging detection technologies is the attachment of proteins, i.e., antibodies, onto the surface of the AuNPs. Despite extensive efforts in the area of antibody-AuNP conjugation chemistry, current attachment chemistries are not universally applicable to all antibodies, often diminish the function of the antibody, and result in compounds with limited stability. In an effort to address these challenges and to realize the full potential of AuNP-enabled assays, Dr. Jeremy Driskell and his research group at Illinois State University are investigating the underlying principles of the antibody-AuNP interaction. This research is conducted with the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program. These studies will promote the rational design of highly active and stable antibody-AuNP conjugates. The project provides an intense research experience to undergraduate students who learn advanced analytical techniques and gain an appreciation for a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving. Additionally, Dr. Driskell and his undergraduate students participate in the Illinois Summer Research Academy, an educational outreach program that provides high school students from across the nation with an opportunity to work in a research laboratory. Despite many successful examples of antibody-AuNP conjugates, immobilization chemistry still presents a challenge. Direct adsorption of the antibody onto AuNPs is often effective; however, adsorption conditions vary among proteins in an unpredictable manner and the activity of the conjugate is variable. Dr. Driskell's research seeks to identify the underlying principles that cause some antibodies to adsorb onto AuNPs to form stable, highly active conjugates, while other antibodies adsorb weakly and/or exhibit poor binding activity. Dr. Driskell's lab investigates the adsorption dynamics of antibodies onto AuNPs by measuring the adsorption affinity, orientation, reversibility, and displacement by other proteins. Antibodies are chemically modified to precisely alter the protein charge. A systematic investigation into adsorption elucidates the foundational principles needed to build a predictive model for effective surface modification. These efforts support Dr. Driskell's long-term goal of developing a strategy to immobilize antibodies onto AuNPs to form highly active, oriented, and stable conjugates for use in AuNP-enabled immunoassays.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.