Rapid and low-cost sampling for detection of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in dehumidifier condensate.

Airborne spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by infectious aerosol is all but certain. However, easily implemented approaches to assess the actual environmental threat are currently unavailable. We present a simple approach with the potential to rapidly provide information about the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the atmosphere at any location. We used a portable dehumidifier as a readily available and affordable tool to collect airborne virus in the condensate. The dehumidifiers were deployed in selected locations of a hospital ward with patients reporting flu-like symptoms which could possibly be due to COVID-19 over three separate periods of one week. Samples were analyzed frequently for both virus envelope protein and SARS-CoV-2 RNA. In several samples across separate deployments, condensate from dehumidifiers tested positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigens as confirmed using two independent assays. RNA was detected, but not attributable to SARS-CoV-2. We verified the ability of the dehumidifier to rapidly collect aerosolized sodium chloride. Our results point to a facile pool testing method to sample air in any location in the world and assess the presence and concentration of an infectious agent to obtain quantitative risk assessment of exposure, designate zones as "hot spots" and minimize the need for individual testing which may often be time consuming, expensive, and laborious.

Electrochemical-digital immunosensor with enhanced sensitivity for detecting human salivary glucocorticoid hormone.

In this work, an ultra-sensitive electrochemical-digital sensor chip is devised for potential use as a digital stress analyzer for point-of-care testing (POCT) and preventive on-site recording of the hormone 'cortisol', a glucocorticoid class of steroid hormone present in the human saliva. The sensor was interfaced and re-configured with a high precision impedance converter system (AD5933) and used for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to evaluate the cortisol levels in seven saliva samples. To obtain enhanced biological (cortisol) recognition and achieve a lower limit of detection 0.87 ± 0.12 pg mL-1 (2.4 ± 0.38 pmol mL-1) with a wide range from 1 pg mL-1 to 10 ng mL-1 (2.75 pmol mL-1 to 27.58 pmol mL-1; R2 = 0.9831), bovine serum albumin (1% BSA) was utilized as an effective sensitivity enhancer in addition to optimizing the other two parameters: (i) anti-cortisol antibody (anti-CAb) covalently attached to micro-Au electrodes and (ii) saliva sample incubation time on the sensor chip. The results obtained in this work were corroborated with the gold standard ELISA test with an accuracy of 96.3% and other previously reported biosensors. We envisage that the conceivable standpoint of this study can be a practice towards new development in cortisol biosensing, which will be pertinent to POCT targeted for in vitro psychobiological study on patient cortisol in saliva, and finally an implantable sensor chip in the future.

Highly-Specific Single-Stranded Oligonucleotides and Functional Nanoprobes for Clinical Determination of Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Infections.

Early detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) is the key to controlling the spread of these bacterial infections. An important step in developing biosensors involves identifying reliable sensing probes against specific genetic targets for CT and NG. Here, the authors have designed single-stranded oligonucleotides (ssDNAs) targeting mutually conserved genetic regions of cryptic plasmid and chromosomal DNA of both CT and NG. The 5'- and 3'- ends of these ssDNAs are differentially functionalized with thiol groups and coupled with gold nanoparticles (AuNP) to develop absorbance-based assay. The AuNPs agglomerate selectively in the presence of its target DNA sequence and demonstrate a change in their surface plasmon resonance. The optimized assay is then used to detect both CT and NG DNA extracted from 60 anonymized clinical samples with a clinical sensitivity of ∼100%. The limit of detection of the assays are found to be 7 and 5 copies/µL for CT and NG respectively. Furthermore, it can successfully detect the DNA levels of these two bacteria without the need for DNA extraction and via a lateral flow-based platform. These assays thus hold the potential to be employed in clinics for rapid and efficient monitoring of sexually transmitted infections.

Synthesis of an enediyne carbon-allotrope surface for photo-thermal degradation of DNA.

The improper disposal of hospital waste products containing genetic materials poses a serious safety threat. We present herein an environmentally friendly technology using a graphene-based novel carbon-allotropic surface to remediate such wastes. The used carbon-allotrope is decorated with an enediyne (EDE-1) enriched aromatic pi-conjugated structure to create an efficient and active surface for cleaving DNA strands. Under controlled exposure of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and heat, the developed surface influences genetic degradation without disturbing the bacterial populations present downstream of the water treatment system. The designed material has been extensively characterized using physicochemical and biological tools. Our results indicate that this approach can possibly be introduced in large scale hospital waste disposal streams for remediating genetic hazards and thereby developing a portable self-contained system.

Monitoring the Viral Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Still Waterbodies Using a Lanthanide-Doped Carbon Nanoparticle-Based Sensor Array.

The latest epidemic of extremely infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a significant public health concern. Despite substantial efforts to contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within a specific location, shortcomings in the surveillance of predominantly asymptomatic infections constrain attempts to identify the epidemiological spread of the virus. Continuous surveillance of wastewater streams, including sewage, offers opportunities to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which is believed to be found in fecal waste. To demonstrate the feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater systems, we herein present a novel facilely constructed fluorescence sensing array based on a panel of three different lanthanide-doped carbon nanoparticles (LnCNPs). The differential fluorescence response pattern due to the counterion-ligand interactions allowed us to employ powerful pattern recognition to effectively detect SARS-CoV-2 and differentiate it from other viruses or bacteria. The sensor results were benchmarked to the gold standard RT-qPCR, and the sensor showed excellent sensitivity (1.5 copies/µL) and a short sample-to-results time of 15 min. This differential response of the sensor array was also explained from the differential mode of binding of the LnCNPs with the surface proteins of the studied bacteria and viruses. Therefore, the developed sensor array provides a cost-effective, community diagnostic tool that could be potentially used as a novel epidemiologic surveillance approach to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Single-gene diagnostic assay for rapid subclassification of basal like breast cancer with mRNA targeted antisense oligonucleotide capped molecular probe.

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBCs) represent a subset of ∼70% of triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) and is significantly more aggressive than tumors of other molecular subtypes. The primary hurdle to develop an effective therapeutic possibility for BLBC lies in the failure to accurately classify this molecular subtype using typical histopathological practices. A clear clinical unmet need is therefore to develop a simple robust diagnostic assay for BLBC that can be made widely available to every pathology laboratory. Elevated expression of transcription factor Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) has recently been reported as an important prognostic biomarker and functional regulator of BLBC. We herein developed a new nanotechnology-enabled molecular diagnostic assay that will target FOXC1 to directly classify BLBC types from tissue extracts. The molecular assay is comprised of unique antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) guided nanoprobe designed for specific targeting of FOXC1 mRNA. The developed assay has been optimized and validated analytically and demonstrated for its clinical applicability in a small cohort of breast cancer tissues. The significance of the results was further established and corroborated using FOXC1 protein-based ELISA, RT-PCR and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) assay by detecting the endogenous mRNAs at the ultrastructural level. The results reported herein could greatly improve accessibility of single gene based oncologic assay and help accelerate the accurate identification of this aggressive disease.

A rapid RNA extraction-free lateral flow assay for molecular point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 augmented by chemical probes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the major shortcoming of healthcare systems globally in their inability to diagnose the disease rapidly and accurately. At present, the molecular approaches for diagnosing COVID-19 primarily use reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to create and amplify cDNA from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA. Although molecular tests are reported to be specific, false negatives are quite common. Furthermore, literally all these tests require a step involving RNA isolation which does not make them point-of-care (POC) in the true sense. Here, we report a lateral flow strip-based RNA extraction and amplification-free nucleic acid test (NAT) for rapid diagnosis of positive COVID-19 cases at POC. The assay uses highly specific 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM) and biotin labeled antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) as probes those are designed to target N-gene sequence of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, we utilized cysteamine capped gold-nanoparticles (Cyst-AuNPs) to augment the signal further for enhanced sensitivity. Without any large-stationary equipment and highly trained staffers, the entire sample-to-answer approach in our case would take less than 30 min from a patient swab sample collection to final diagnostic result. Moreover, when evaluated with 60 clinical samples and verified with an FDA-approved TaqPath RT-PCR kit for COVID-19 diagnosis, the assay obtained almost 99.99% accuracy and specificity. We anticipate that the newly established low-cost amplification-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA will aid in the development of a platform technology for rapid and POC diagnosis of COVID-19 and other pathogens.

In Situ Surface-Directed Assembly of 2D Metal Nanoplatelets for Drug-Free Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

The development of antibiotic resistance among bacterial strains is a major global public health concern. To address this, drug-free antibacterial approaches are needed. Copper surfaces have long been known for their antibacterial properties. In this work, a one-step surface modification technique is used to assemble 2D copper chloride nanoplatelets directly onto copper surfaces such as copper tape, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids, electrodes, and granules. The nanoplatelets are formed using copper ions from the copper surfaces, enabling their direct assembly onto these surfaces in a one-step process that does not require separate nanoparticle synthesis. The synthesis of the nanoplatelets is confirmed with TEM, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Antibacterial properties of the Cu nanoplatelets are demonstrated in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli, MDR Acinetobacter baumannii, MDR Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Streptococcus mutans. Nanoplatelets lead to a marked improvement in antibacterial properties compared to the copper surfaces alone, affecting bacterial cell morphology, preventing bacterial cell division, reducing their viability, damaging bacterial DNA, and altering protein expression. This work presents a robust method to directly assemble copper nanoplatelets onto any copper surface to imbue it with improved antibacterial properties.

Probing the mutation independent interaction of DNA probes with SARS-CoV-2 variants through a combination of surface-enhanced Raman scattering and machine learning.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) evolution has been characterized by the emergence of sets of mutations impacting the virus characteristics, such as transmissibility and antigenicity, presumably in response to the changing immune profile of the human population. The presence of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus can potentially impact therapeutic and diagnostic test performances. We design and develop here a unique set of DNA probes i.e., antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) which can interact with genetic sequences of the virus irrespective of its ongoing mutations. The probes, developed herein, target a specific segment of the nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (N) gene of SARS-CoV-2 with high binding efficiency which do not mutate among the known variants. Further probing into the interaction profile of the ASOs reveals that the ASO-RNA hybridization remains unaltered even for a hypothetical single point mutation at the target RNA site and diminished only in case of the hypothetical double or triple point mutations. The mechanism of interaction among the ASOs and SARS-CoV-2 RNA is then explored with a combination of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and machine learning techniques. It has been observed that the technique, described herein, could efficiently discriminate between clinically positive and negative samples with ∼100% sensitivity and ∼90% specificity up to 63 copies/mL of SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration. Thus, this study establishes N gene targeted ASOs as the fundamental machinery to efficiently detect all the current SARS-CoV-2 variants regardless of their mutations.

Hyperspectral Mapping for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using Nanomolecular Probes with Yoctomole Sensitivity.

Efficient monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak requires the use of a sensitive and rapid diagnostic test. Although SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected by RT-qPCR, the molecular-level quantification of the viral load is still challenging, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Here, we report an ultrasensitive hyperspectral sensor (HyperSENSE) based on hafnium nanoparticles (HfNPs) for specific detection of COVID-19 causative virus, SARS-CoV-2. Density functional theoretical calculations reveal that HfNPs exhibit higher changes in their absorption wavelength and light scattering when bound to their target SARS-CoV-2 RNA sequence relative to the gold nanoparticles. The assay has a turnaround time of a few seconds and has a limit of detection in the yoctomolar range, which is 1 000 000-fold times higher than the currently available COVID-19 tests. We demonstrated in ∼100 COVID-19 clinical samples that the assay is highly sensitive and has a specificity of 100%. We also show that HyperSENSE can rapidly detect other viruses such as influenza A H1N1. The outstanding sensitivity indicates the potential of the current biosensor in detecting the prevailing presymptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. Thus, integrating hyperspectral imaging with nanomaterials establishes a diagnostic platform for ultrasensitive detection of COVID-19 that can potentially be applied to any emerging infectious pathogen.

RNA-extraction-free nano-amplified colorimetric test for point-of-care clinical diagnosis of COVID-19.

The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the shortcomings of the current testing paradigm for viral disease diagnostics. Here, we report a stepwise protocol for an RNA-extraction-free nano-amplified colorimetric test for rapid and naked-eye molecular diagnosis of COVID-19. The test employs a unique dual-prong approach that integrates nucleic acid (NA) amplification and plasmonic sensing for point-of-care detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with a sample-to-assay response time of <1 h. The RNA-extraction-free nano-amplified colorimetric test utilizes plasmonic gold nanoparticles capped with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) as a colorimetric reporter to detect the amplified nucleic acid from the COVID-19 causative virus, SARS-CoV-2. The ASOs are specific for the SARS-CoV-2 N-gene, and binding of the ASOs to their target sequence results in the aggregation of the plasmonic gold nanoparticles. This highly specific agglomeration step leads to a change in the plasmonic response of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, when tested using clinical samples, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the test were found to be >98.4%, >96.6% and 100%, respectively, with a detection limit of 10 copies/µL. The test can easily be adapted to diagnose other viral infections with a simple modification of the ASOs and primer sequences. It also provides a low-cost, rapid approach requiring minimal instrumentation that can be used as a screening tool for the diagnosis of COVID-19 at point-of-care settings in resource-poor situations. The colorimetric readout of the test can even be monitored using a handheld optical reader to obtain a quantitative response. Therefore, we anticipate that this protocol will be widely useful for the development of biosensors for the molecular diagnostics of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Synthesis and characterisation of N-gene targeted NIR-II fluorescent probe for selective localisation of SARS-CoV-2.

Tracking the viral progression of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 infected body tissues is an emerging need of the current pandemic. Imaging at near infrared second biological window (NIR-II) offers striking benefits over the other technologies to explore deep-tissue information. Here we design, synthesise and characterise a molecular probe that selectively targets the N-gene of SARS-CoV-2. Highly specific antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were conjugated to lead sulfide quantum dots using a UV-triggered thiol-ene click chemistry for the recognition of viral RNA. Our ex vivo imaging studies demonstrated that the probe exhibits aggregation induced NIR-II emission only in presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA which can be attributed to the efficient hybridisation of the ASOs with their target RNA strands.

Rational Design of Surface-State Controlled Multicolor Cross-Linked Carbon Dots with Distinct Photoluminescence and Cellular Uptake Properties.

We disclose for the first time a facile synthetic methodology for the preparation of multicolor carbon dots (CDs) from a single source barring any chromatographic separations. This was achieved via sequential intraparticle cross-linking of surface abundant carboxylic acid groups on the CDs synthesized from a precursor to control their photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as affect their degree of cellular internalization in cancer cells. The change in PL spectra with sequential cross-linking was projected by theoretical density functional theory (DFT) studies and validated by multiple characterization tools such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), PL spectroscopy, ninhydrin assay, etc. The variation in cellular internalization of these cross-linked CDs was demonstrated using inhibitor assays, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry. We supplemented our findings with high-resolution dark-field imaging to visualize and confirm the colocalization of these CDs into distinct intracellular compartments. Finally, to prove the surface-state controlled PL mechanisms of these cross-linked CDs, we fabricated a triple-channel sensor array for the identification of different analytes including metal ions and biologically relevant proteins.

Rapid, Ultrasensitive, and Quantitative Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using Antisense Oligonucleotides Directed Electrochemical Biosensor Chip.

A large-scale diagnosis of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to downregulate its spread within as well as across communities and mitigate the current outbreak of the pandemic novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Herein, we report the development of a rapid (less than 5 min), low-cost, easy-to-implement, and quantitative paper-based electrochemical sensor chip to enable the digital detection of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The biosensor uses gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), capped with highly specific antisense oligonucleotides (ssDNA) targeting viral nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (N-gene). The sensing probes are immobilized on a paper-based electrochemical platform to yield a nucleic-acid-testing device with a readout that can be recorded with a simple hand-held reader. The biosensor chip has been tested using samples collected from Vero cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus and clinical samples. The sensor provides a significant improvement in output signal only in the presence of its target-SARS-CoV-2 RNA-within less than 5 min of incubation time, with a sensitivity of 231 (copies µL-1)-1 and limit of detection of 6.9 copies/µL without the need for any further amplification. The sensor chip performance has been tested using clinical samples from 22 COVID-19 positive patients and 26 healthy asymptomatic subjects confirmed using the FDA-approved RT-PCR COVID-19 diagnostic kit. The sensor successfully distinguishes the positive COVID-19 samples from the negative ones with almost 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity and exhibits an insignificant change in output signal for the samples lacking a SARS-CoV-2 viral target segment (e.g., SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, or negative COVID-19 samples collected from healthy subjects). The feasibility of the sensor even during the genomic mutation of the virus is also ensured from the design of the ssDNA-conjugated AuNPs that simultaneously target two separate regions of the same SARS-CoV-2 N-gene.

Selective Naked-Eye Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Mediated by N Gene Targeted Antisense Oligonucleotide Capped Plasmonic Nanoparticles.

The current outbreak of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) demands its rapid, convenient, and large-scale diagnosis to downregulate its spread within as well as across the communities. But the reliability, reproducibility, and selectivity of majority of such diagnostic tests fail when they are tested either to a viral load at its early representation or to a viral gene mutated during its current spread. In this regard, a selective "naked-eye" detection of SARS-CoV-2 is highly desirable, which can be tested without accessing any advanced instrumental techniques. We herein report the development of a colorimetric assay based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), when capped with suitably designed thiol-modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) specific for N-gene (nucleocapsid phosphoprotein) of SARS-CoV-2, could be used for diagnosing positive COVID-19 cases within 10 min from the isolated RNA samples. The thiol-modified ASO-capped AuNPs agglomerate selectively in the presence of its target RNA sequence of SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrate a change in its surface plasmon resonance. Further, the addition of RNaseH cleaves the RNA strand from the RNA-DNA hybrid leading to a visually detectable precipitate from the solution mediated by the additional agglomeration among the AuNPs. The selectivity of the assay has been monitored in the presence of MERS-CoV viral RNA with a limit of detection of 0.18 ng/µL of RNA having SARS-CoV-2 viral load. Thus, the current study reports a selective and visual "naked-eye" detection of COVID-19 causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, without the requirement of any sophisticated instrumental techniques.

Label-Free Pathogen Detection Based on Yttrium-Doped Carbon Nanoparticles up to Single-Cell Resolution.

The capability to detect bacteria at a low cell density is critical to prevent the delay in therapeutic intervention and to avoid the emergence of antibiotic-resistant species. Till date, significant advancement has been made to develop a sensing platform for rapid and reliable bacterial detection. However, critical requirements, that is, limit of detection, fast time of response, ultrasensitivity with high reproducibility, and the ability to distinguish between bacterial strains are yet to be met within a single sensing platform. In this contribution, we present a novel label-free sensor based on pH-sensitive fluorescent yttrium-doped carbon nanoparticles (YCNPs) embedded in agarose that can rapidly and accurately detect and discriminate pathogens in real time. The developed sensor matrix presented pH-triggered aggregation-induced emission quenching of YCNPs in a wide pH range. When the pH decreased from 10.0 to 4.0, the fluorescence of the matrix decreased linearly (R2 = 0.9229). The sensor 's high sensitivity in a physiologically relevant pH range enables the monitoring of the presence of live pathogens to single-cell resolution. In addition, the 3D matrix sensor showed low cytotoxicity and long stability (>30 days). Besides, the YCNP platform is stable for several hours (5 h) in a complex medium and does not alter the bacterial activities, allowing real-time monitoring of bacterial growth with a small sample volume (100 µL) and rapid response time (25 min). Furthermore, using machine learning-assisted tools, different bacterial strains with various cell densities were discriminated with an accuracy of almost 100%. Moreover, blends of pathogens and a real-world sample can also be identified accurately, thus enabling the sensor to provide fast and reliable pathogen information for clinical decisions and allowing continuous monitoring of infectious disease trends.

Electrically-receptive and thermally-responsive paper-based sensor chip for rapid detection of bacterial cells.

Although significant technological advancements have been made in the development of analytical biosensor chips for detecting bacterial strains (E. coli, S. Mutans and B. Subtilis), critical requirements i.e. limit of detection (LOD), fast time of response, ultra-sensitivity with high reproducibility and good shelf-life with robust sensing capability have yet to be met within a single sensor chip. In order to achieve these criteria, we present an electrically-receptive thermally-responsive (ER-TR) sensor chip comprised of simple filter paper used as substrate coated with composite of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) polymer (PNIPAm) - graphene nanoplatelet (GR) followed by evaporation of Au electrodes for capturing both Gram-positive (S. mutans and B. subtilis) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacterial cells in real-time. Autoclave water, tap water, lake water and milk samples were tested with ER-TR chip with and without bacterial strains at varying concentration range 101-105 cells/mL. The sensor was integrated with in-house built printed circuit board (PCB) to transmit/receive electrical signals. The interaction of E. coli, S. mutans and B. subtilis cells with fibers of PNIPAm-GR resulted in a change of electrical resistance and the readout was monitored wirelessly in real-time using MATLAB algorithm. Finally, prepared ER-TR chip exhibited the reproducibility of 85-97% with shelf-life of up to four weeks after testing with lake water sample.

In situ plasmonic generation in functional ionic-gold-nanogel scaffold for rapid quantitative bio-sensing.

Conventional analytical techniques, which have been developed for high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection and quantification of relevant biomarkers, may not be as suitable for medical diagnosis in resource scarce environments as compared to point-of-care devices (POC). We have developed a new reactive sensing material which contains ionic gold entrapped within an agarose gel scaffold for POC quantification of ascorbic acid (AA) in tear fluid. Pathologically elevated concentration of AA in human tear fluid can serve as a biomarker for full-thickness injuries to the ocular surface, which are a medical emergency. This reactive sensing material will undergo colorimetric changes, quantitatively dependent on endogenous bio-reductants that are applied, as the entrapped ionic gold is reduced to form plasmonic nanoparticles. The capacity for this reactive material to function as a plasmonically driven biosensor, called 'OjoGel' (ojo-eye), was demonstrated with the endogenous reducing agent, AA. Through applications of AA of varied concentrations to the OjoGel, we demonstrated a quantitative colorimetric relationship between red (R) hexadecimal values and concentrations of AA in said treatments. This colorimetric relationship is directly resultant of plasmonic gold nanoparticle formation within the OjoGel scaffold. Using a commercially available mobile phone-based Pixel Picker® application, the OjoGel plasmonic sensing platform opens a new avenue for easy-to-use, rapid, and quantitative biosensing with low cost and accurate results.