Nano-Probes for Point of Care Diagnostics

一个新兴的诊断平台是基于等离子体纳米颗粒，特别是金纳米颗粒。金纳米颗粒是一种坚固的生物传感器，具有几个关键特性，使其成为护理和监测应用的理想选择。I)金纳米颗粒相对便宜(例如，家用验孕测试中的红色试纸由金颗粒组成，每个批发价约20便士)；ii)金纳米颗粒用于临床和兽医侧向流动分析(如妊娠试验)；iii)金纳米颗粒在溶液中结合生物靶标时显示出明显的红蓝颜色变化。后一点将是本项目的重点。当病原体的配体被固定在颗粒表面时，当病原体存在时，它会产生红蓝相移(肉眼可见)，因此非常适合于护理点设备。一种新兴的诊断平台是，基于等离子体纳米颗粒，特别是金纳米颗粒-由于其强烈的着色性和结合目标时光学特性(颜色)的独特变化，它们是吉布森集团用于细菌和毒素检测的理想传感器。该项目将结合吉布森集团在开发新的生物传感器方面的专业知识(分子生物系统，2016，12,341，J.Mater。化学。B.，2016，4,3046)与Iceni Diagnostics合作；一位年轻而敏捷的英国生物技术公司。该项目将寻求利用精密聚合物和材料化学，与现代糖生物学和纳米科学相结合，开发这些纳米传感器，使其成为有效的检测目标。

An emerging diagnostic platform is that based upon plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles are robust biosensors with several key features making them ideal for point of care and monitoring applications. i) Gold nanoparticles are relatively inexpensive (e.g. the red strip in home pregnancy tests is composed of gold particles and they wholesale for ~ 20 pence each); ii) Gold nanoparticles are established for clinical and vetinary use in lateral flow assays (e.g. pregnancy test); iii) Gold nanoparticles display a distinct red-blue colour change when binding biological targets in solution. This latter point will be the focus of this project. When the ligand for a pathogen is immobilized onto the particle surface it produces a red-blue colour shift (visible by the naked eye) when the pathogen is present and is hence ideally suited to point of care devices. An emerging diagnostic platform is that based upon plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoparticles - due to their strong colouration and unique change in optical properties (colour) upon binding targets they are ideal sensors for 'easy point of care diagnostics' which the GibsonGroup have used for bacterial and toxin detection. This project will combine the expertise in the GibsonGroup in developing new biosensors (Molecular Biosystems, 2016, 12, 341, J. Mater. Chem. B., 2016, 4, 3046) with that of Iceni Diagnostics; a young and agile UK Biotech.The project will seek to develop these nanosensors towards validated targets for detection, making use of precision polymer and materials chemistry, with modern glycobiology and nano science.