Upconversion Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy of a Sandwich Immunoassay.

Fluorescence correlation and cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCS/FCCS) have enabled biologists to study processes of transport, binding, and enzymatic reactions in living cells. However, applying FCS and FCCS to samples such as whole blood and plasma is complicated as the fluorescence bursts of diffusing labels can be swamped by strong autofluorescence. Here we present cross-correlation spectroscopy based on two upconversion nanoparticles emitting at different wavelengths on the anti-Stokes side of a single excitation laser. This upconversion cross-correlation spectroscopy (UCCS) approach allows us to completely remove all Stokes shifted autofluorescence background in biological material such as plasma. As a proof of concept, we evaluate the applicability of UCCS to a homogeneous sandwich immunoassay for thyroid stimulating hormone measured in buffer solution and in plasma.

Ratiometric Sensing and Imaging of Intracellular pH Using Polyethylenimine-Coated Photon Upconversion Nanoprobes.

Measurement of changes of pH at various intracellular compartments has potential to solve questions concerning the processing of endocytosed material, regulation of the acidification process, and also acidification of vesicles destined for exocytosis. To monitor these events, the nanosized optical pH probes need to provide ratiometric signals in the optically transparent biological window, target to all relevant intracellular compartments, and to facilitate imaging at subcellular resolution without interference from the biological matrix. To meet these criteria we sensitize the surface conjugated pH sensitive indicator via an upconversion process utilizing an energy transfer from the nanoparticle to the indicator. Live cells were imaged with a scanning confocal microscope equipped with a low-energy 980 nm laser excitation, which facilitated high resolution and penetration depth into the specimen, and low phototoxicity needed for long-term imaging. Our upconversion nanoparticle resonance energy transfer based sensor with polyethylenimine-coating provides high colloidal stability, enhanced cellular uptake, and distribution across cellular compartments. This distribution was modulated with membrane integrity perturbing treatment that resulted into total loss of lysosomal compartments and a dramatic pH shift of endosomal compartments. These nanoprobes are well suited for detection of pH changes in in vitro models with high biological background fluorescence and in in vivo applications, e.g., for the bioimaging of small animal models.

Environmental and Excitation Power Effects on the Ratiometric Upconversion Luminescence Based Temperature Sensing Using Nanocrystalline NaYF4 :Yb3+ ,Er3.

The luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) of the green emissions of the near-infrared excited NaYF4 :Yb3+ ,Er3+ nanocrystals is a promising method for temperature sensing. Here, the influence of excitation power density, excitation pulse length, excitation wavelength, silica shell, and solvent on the LIR and its temperature response is reported. The primary objective is to study the LIR mechanism and the impact of measurement and environmental parameters on the calibration and precision of the LIR. The LIR value is demonstrated to be unaffected by the excitation intensity in the studied range. This result is essential, considering the application feasibility of the LIR method as temperature sensor, where the effective excitation power density depends on the sample matrix and the distance excitation light travels in the sample. The pulsed excitation, however, results in an increase in the LIR value upon short pulse width. Silanization of bare nanocrystals has no effect on the LIR values, but the local warming of H2 O samples under laser exposure results in slightly increased LIR values compared to other solvents; D2 O, oleic acid, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The thermal quenching of luminescence lifetimes of Er3+ emission is proved to be too weak for sensing applications.

Effects of blood sample anticoagulants on lateral flow assays using luminescent photon-upconverting and Eu(III) nanoparticle reporters.

Many quantitative and semiquantitative lateral flow (LF) assays have been introduced for clinical analytes such as biomarkers for cancer or acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Various detection technologies involving quantitative analyzing devices have been reported to have sufficient analytical sensitivity and quantification capability for clinical point-of-care tests. Fluorescence-based detection technologies such as quantum dots, Eu(III) nanoparticles, and photon-upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been introduced as promising solutions for point-of-care devices because of their high detectability by optical sensors. Lateral flow assays can be used for various sample types, e.g., urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood. This study focuses on the properties of serum and plasma because of their relevance in cancer and AMI diagnostics. The limit of detection was compared in LF assays having Eu(III) nanoparticles or UCNPs as reporters and the antibody configurations for two different analytes (prostate-specific antigen and cardiac troponin I (cTnI)). The results indicate a significant effect of anticoagulants in venipuncture tubes. The samples in K3EDTA tubes resulted in significant interference by decreased reporter particle mobility, and thus the limit of detection was up to eightfold less sensitive compared to serum samples. Despite the matrix interference in the cTnI assay with UCNP reporters, limits of detection of 41 ng/L with serum and 66 ng/L with the Li-heparin sample were obtained.

Homogeneous assay for whole blood folate using photon upconversion.

Red blood cell folate is measured for folate deficiency diagnosis, because it reflects the long-term folate level in tissues, whereas serum folate only represents the dietary intake. Direct homogeneous assay from whole blood would be ideal but conventional fluorescence techniques in blood suffer from high background and strong absorption of light at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. In this study, a new photon upconversion-based homogeneous assay for whole blood folate is introduced based on resonance energy transfer from upconverting nanophosphor donor coated with folate binding protein to a near-infrared fluorescent acceptor dye conjugated to folate analogue. The sensitized acceptor emission is measured at 740 nm upon 980 nm excitation. Thus, optically transparent wavelengths are utilized for both donor excitation and sensitized acceptor emission to minimize the sample absorption, and anti-Stokes detection completely eliminates the Stokes-shifted autofluorescence. The IC50 value of the assay was 6.0 nM and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1 nM. The measurable concentration range was 2 orders of magnitude between 1.0-100 nM, corresponding to 40-4000 nM folate in the whole blood sample. Recoveries of added folic acid were 112%-114%. A good correlation was found when compared to a competitive heterogeneous assay based on the DELFIA-technology. The introduced assay provides a simple and fast method for whole blood folate measurement.

Quantitative multianalyte microarray immunoassay utilizing upconverting phosphor technology.

A quantitative multianalyte immunoassay utilizing luminescent upconverting single-crystal nanoparticles as reporters on an antibody array-in-well platform was demonstrated. Upconverting nanoparticles are inorganic rare earth doped materials that have the unique feature of converting low energy infrared radiation into higher energy visible light. Autofluorescence, commonly limiting the sensitivity of fluorescence-based assays, can be completely eliminated with photon upconversion technology because the phenomenon does not occur in biological materials. Biotinylated antibodies for three analytes (prostate specific antigen, thyroid stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone) were printed in an array format onto the bottom of streptavidin-coated microtiter wells. Analyte dilutions were added to the wells, and the analytes were detected with antibody-coated upconverting nanoparticles. Binding of the upconverting nanoparticles was imaged with an anti-Stokes photoluminescence microwell imager, and the standard curves for each analyte were quantified from the selected spot areas of the images. Single analyte and reference assays were also carried out to compare with the results of the multianalyte assay. Multiplexing did not have an effect on the assay performance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of upconverting single-crystal nanoparticles for imaging-based detection of quantitative multianalyte assays.

Upconverting phosphors in a dual-parameter LRET-based hybridization assay.

Upconverting phosphors (UCPs) are lanthanide-doped sub-micrometer-sized particles, which produce multiple narrow and well-separated anti-Stokes emission bands at visible wavelengths under infrared excitation (980 nm). The advantageous features of UCPs were utilized to construct a dual-parameter, homogeneous sandwich hybridization assay based on a UCP donor and lanthanide resonance energy transfer (LRET). UCPs with two emission bands (540 nm and 653 nm) were exploited together with two appropriate fluorophores as acceptors. The energy transfer excited emissions of the acceptors were measured at 600 nm and 740 nm without any significant interference from each other. The autofluorescence limitation associated with conventional fluorescence was totally avoided as the measurements were carried out at shorter wavelength relative to the excitation. In the sandwich hybridization assay two different single-stranded target-oligonucleotide sequences were detected simultaneously and quantitatively with a dynamic range from 0.03 to 0.4 pmol (corresponding 0.35-5.4 nM). The UCPs enable multiplexed homogeneous LRET-based assay requiring only a single excitation wavelength, which simplifies the detection and extends the applicability of upconversion in bioanalytical measurements.

An optical authentication system based on imaging of excitation-selected lanthanide luminescence.

Secure data encryption relies heavily on one-way functions, and copy protection relies on features that are difficult to reproduce. We present an optical authentication system based on lanthanide luminescence from physical one-way functions or physical unclonable functions (PUFs). They cannot be reproduced and thus enable unbreakable encryption. Further, PUFs will prevent counterfeiting if tags with unique PUFs are grafted onto products. We have developed an authentication system that comprises a hardware reader, image analysis, and authentication software and physical keys that we demonstrate as an anticounterfeiting system. The physical keys are PUFs made from random patterns of taggants in polymer films on glass that can be imaged following selected excitation of particular lanthanide(III) ions doped into the individual taggants. This form of excitation-selected imaging ensures that by using at least two lanthanide(III) ion dopants, the random patterns cannot be copied, because the excitation selection will fail when using any other emitter. With the developed reader and software, the random patterns are read and digitized, which allows a digital pattern to be stored. This digital pattern or digital key can be used to authenticate the physical key in anticounterfeiting or to encrypt any message. The PUF key was produced with a staggering nominal encoding capacity of 73600. Although the encoding capacity of the realized authentication system reduces to 6 × 10104, it is more than sufficient to completely preclude counterfeiting of products.

Investigating dye performance and crosstalk in fluorescence enabled bioimaging using a model system.

Detailed imaging of biological structures, often smaller than the diffraction limit, is possible in fluorescence microscopy due to the molecular size and photophysical properties of fluorescent probes. Advances in hardware and multiple providers of high-end bioimaging makes comparing images between studies and between research groups very difficult. Therefore, we suggest a model system to benchmark instrumentation, methods and staining procedures. The system we introduce is based on doped zeolites in stained polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films: a highly accessible model system which has the properties needed to act as a benchmark in bioimaging experiments. Rather than comparing molecular probes and imaging methods in complicated biological systems, we demonstrate that the model system can emulate this complexity and can be used to probe the effect of concentration, brightness, and cross-talk of fluorophores on the detected fluorescence signal. The described model system comprises of lanthanide (III) ion doped Linde Type A zeolites dispersed in a PVA film stained with fluorophores. We tested: F18, MitoTracker Red and ATTO647N. This model system allowed comparing performance of the fluorophores in experimental conditions. Importantly, we here report considerable cross-talk of the dyes when exchanging excitation and emission settings. Additionally, bleaching was quantified. The proposed model makes it possible to test and benchmark staining procedures before these dyes are applied to more complex biological systems.

Creating infinite contrast in fluorescence microscopy by using lanthanide centered emission.

The popularity of fluorescence microscopy arises from the inherent mode of action, where the fluorescence emission from probes is used to visualize selected features on a presumed dark background. However, the background is rarely truly dark, and image processing and analysis is needed to enhance the fluorescent signal that is ascribed to the selected feature. The image acquisition is facilitated by using considerable illumination, bright probes at a relatively high concentration in order to make the fluorescent signal significantly more intense than the background signal. Here, we present two methods for completely removing the background signal in spectrally resolved fluorescence microscopy. The methodology is applicable for all probes with narrow and well-defined emission bands (Full width half-maximum < 20 nm). Here, we use two lanthanide based probes exploiting the narrow emission lines of europium(III) and terbium(III) ions. We used a model system with zeolites doped with lanthanides immobilized in a polymer stained with several fluorescent dyes regularly used in bioimaging. After smoothing the spectral data recorded in each pixel, they are differentiated. Method I is based on the direct sum of the gradient, while method II resolves the fluorescent signal by subtracting a background calculated via the gradient. Both methods improve signal-to-background ratio significantly and we suggest that spectral imaging of lanthanide-centered emission can be used as a tool to obtain absolute contrast in bioimaging.

Quenching of the upconversion luminescence of NaYF4:Yb³âº,Er³âº and NaYF4:Yb³âº,Tm³âº nanophosphors by water: the role of the sensitizer Yb³âº in non-radiative relaxation.

We have studied the mechanisms of water-based quenching of the upconversion photoluminescence of upconverting nanophosphors (UCNPs) via luminescence decay measurements for a better understanding of the non-radiative deactivation pathways responsible for the relatively low upconversion luminescence efficiency in aqueous solutions. This included both upconversion luminescence measurements and the direct excitation of emissive energy states of Er(3+) and Yb(3+) dopants in NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+) UCNPs by measuring the decays at 550 and 655 nm upon 380 nm excitation and at 980 nm upon 930 nm excitation, respectively. The luminescence intensities and decays were measured from both bare and silanized NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+) and NaYF4:Yb(3+),Tm(3+) UCNPs in H2O and D2O. The measurements revealed up to 99.9% quenching of the upconversion photoluminescence intensity of both Er(3+) and Tm(3+) doped bare nanophosphors by water. Instead of the multiphonon relaxation of excited energy levels of the activators, the main mechanism of quenching was found to be the multiphonon deactivation of the Yb(3+) sensitizer ion caused by OH-vibrations on the surface of the nanophosphor. Due to the nonlinear nature of upconversion, the quenching of Yb(3+) has a higher order effect on the upconversion emission intensity with the efficient Yb-Yb energy migration in the ∼35 nm nanocrystals making the whole nanophosphor volume susceptible to surface quenching effects. The study underlines the need of efficient surface passivation for the use of UCNPs as labels in bioanalytical applications performed in aqueous solutions.

Photon upconversion sensitized nanoprobes for sensing and imaging of pH.

Acidic pH inside cells indicates cellular dysfunctions such as cancer. Therefore, the development of optical pH sensors for measuring and imaging intracellular pH is a demanding challenge. The available pH-sensitive probes are vulnerable to e.g. photobleaching or autofluorescence background in biological materials. Our approach circumvents these problems due to near infrared excitation and upconversion photoluminescence. We introduce a nanosensor based on upconversion resonance energy transfer (UC-RET) between an upconverting nanoparticle (UCNP) and a fluorogenic pH-dependent dye pHrodo™ Red that was covalently bound to the aminosilane surface of the nanoparticles. The sensitized fluorescence of the pHrodo™ Red dye increases strongly with decreasing pH. By referencing the pH-dependent emission of pHrodo™ Red with the pH-insensitive upconversion photoluminescence of the UCNP, we developed a pH-sensor which exhibits a dynamic range from pH 7.2 to 2.5. The applicability of the introduced pH nanosensor for pH imaging was demonstrated by imaging the two emission wavelengths of the nanoprobe in living HeLa cells with a confocal fluorescence microscope upon 980 nm excitation. This demonstrates that the presented pH-nanoprobe can be used as an intracellular pH-sensor due to the unique features of UCNPs: excitation with deeply penetrating near-infrared light, high photostability, lack of autofluorescence and biocompatibility due to an aminosilane coating.

Fluorescence-quenching-based homogeneous caspase-3 activity assay using photon upconversion.

Caspase proteases are key mediators in apoptosis and thus of great interest in pharmaceutical industry. Enzyme-activity assays are commonly employed in the screening of protease inhibitors that are potential drug candidates. Conventional homogeneous fluorescence-based assays are susceptible to autofluorescence originating from biological material. This background autofluorescence can be eliminated by using upconverting phosphors (UCPs) that emit visible light upon excitation at near-infrared. In the assay energy was transferred from a UCP-donor to a conventional fluorophore acceptor that resided at one end of a caspase-3-specific substrate peptide. Attached to the other end was a quencher molecule that was used to attenuate the acceptor emission through intramolecular energy transfer in an intact peptide. In non-inhibitory conditions the enzyme reaction separated the fluorophore from the quencher and the emission of the fluorophore was recovered. The method was applied for the detection and characterization of a known caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK, and the assay gave IC(50) values of approximately 13 nM for this inhibitor. We have demonstrated the applicability of UCPs on a fluorescence-quenching-based homogeneous enzyme-activity assay for the detection of caspase-3 inhibitors. The use of near-infrared excitable UCPs enables inexpensive instrumentation and total elimination of autofluorescence, while the use of an internally quenched substrate molecule diminishes the background resulting from radiatively excited acceptor molecules. The reduction of autofluorescence and radiative background result in high signal-to-background ratios (ratios of approximately 100 were obtained). By further utilizing assay miniaturization and signal enhancement in a white microtitration plate, a significant reduction in the reagent consumption can be achieved rendering the assay applicable for high-throughput screening.