Antibody-Based Array for Tacrolimus Immunosuppressant Monitoring with Planar Plastic Waveguides Activated with an Aminodextran-Lipase Conjugate.

Cyclic olefin copolymers (COC; e.g., Zeonor, Topas, Arton, etc.) are materials with outstanding properties for developing point-of-care systems; however, the lack of functional groups in their native form makes their application challenging. This work evaluates different strategies to functionalize commercially available Zeonor substrates, including oxygen plasma treatment, photochemical grafting, and direct surface amination using an amino dextran-lipase conjugate (ADLC). The modified surfaces were characterized by contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection analysis, and fluorescence assays based on evanescent wave excitation. The bioaffinity activation through the ADLC approach results in a fast, simple, and reproducible approach that can be used further to conjugate carboxylated small molecules (e.g., haptens). The usefulness of this approach has been demonstrated by the development of a heterogeneous fluorescence immunoassay to detect tacrolimus (FK506) immunosuppressant drug using an array biosensor platform based on evanescence wave laser excitation and Zeonor-ADLC substrates. Surface modification with ADLC-bearing FK506 provides a 3D layer that efficiently leads to a remarkably low limit of detection (0.02 ng/mL) and IC50 (0.9 ng/mL) together with a wide dynamic range (0.07-11.3 ng/mL).

Biosensing strategies using recombinant luminescent proteins and their use for food and environmental analysis.

Progress in synthetic biology and nanotechnology plays at present a major role in the fabrication of sophisticated and miniaturized analytical devices that provide the means to tackle the need for new tools and methods for environmental and food safety. Significant research efforts have led to biosensing experiments experiencing a remarkable growth with the development and application of recombinant luminescent proteins (RLPs) being at the core of this boost. Integrating RLPs into biosensors has resulted in highly versatile detection platforms. These platforms include luminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based sensors, and genetically encoded luminescent biosensors. Increased signal-to-noise ratios, rapid response times, and the ability to monitor dynamic biological processes in live cells are advantages inherent to the approaches mentioned above. Furthermore, novel fusion proteins and optimized expression systems to improve their stability, brightness, and spectral properties have enhanced the performance and pertinence of luminescent biosensors in diverse fields. This review highlights recent progress in RLP-based biosensing, showcasing their implementation for monitoring different contaminants commonly found in food and environmental samples. Future perspectives and potential challenges in these two areas of interest are also addressed, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state and a forecast of the biosensing strategies using recombinant luminescent proteins to come.

Biosensing Tacrolimus in Human Whole Blood by Using a Drug Receptor Fused to the Emerald Green Fluorescent Protein.

Tacrolimus (FK506) is an immunosuppressant drug (ISD) used to prevent organ rejection after transplantation that exhibits a narrow therapeutic window and is subject to wide inter- and intra-individual pharmacokinetic fluctuations requiring careful monitoring. The immunosuppressive capacity of FK506 arises from the formation of a complex with immunophilin FKBP1A. This paper describes the use of FKBP1A as an alternative to common antibodies for biosensing purposes. Bioassays use recombinant FKBP1A fused to the emerald green fluorescent protein (FKBP1A-EmGFP). Samples containing the immunosuppressant are incubated with the recombinant protein, and free FKBP1A-EmGFP is captured by magnetic beads functionalized with FK506 to generate a fluorescence signal. Recombinant receptor-drug interaction is evaluated by using a quartz crystal microbalance and nuclear magnetic resonance. The limit of detection (3 ng mL-1) and dynamic range thus obtained (5-70 ng mL-1) fulfill therapeutic requirements. The assay is selective for other ISD usually coadministered with FK506 and allows the drug to be determined in human whole blood samples from organ transplant patients with results comparing favorably with those of an external laboratory.

Molecular super-gluing: a straightforward tool for antibody labelling and its application to mycotoxin biosensing.

Mycotoxins are low molecular weight toxic compounds, which can cause severe health problems in animals and humans. Immunoassays allow rapid, simple and cost-effective screening of mycotoxins. Sandwich assays with a direct readout provide great improvement in terms of selectivity and sensitivity, compared to the widely used competitive assay formats, for the analysis of low molecular weight molecules. In this work, we report a non-competitive fluorescence anti-immune complex (IC) immunoassay, based on the specific recognition of HT-2 toxin with a pair of recombinant antibody fragments, namely antigen-binding fragment (Fab) (anti-HT-2 (10) Fab) and single-chain variable fragment (scFv) (anti-IC HT-2 (10) scFv). The SpyTag and SpyCatcher glue proteins were applied for the first time as a bioconjugation tool for the analysis of mycotoxins. To this aim, a SpyTag-mScarlet-I (fluorescent protein) and scFv-SpyCatcher fusion proteins were constructed, produced and fused in situ during the assay by spontaneous Tag-Catcher binding. The assay showed an excellent sensitivity with an EC50 of 4.8 ± 0.4 ng mL-1 and a dynamic range from 1.7 ± 0.3 to 13 ± 2 ng mL-1, an inter-day reproducibility of 8.5% and a high selectivity towards HT-2 toxin without cross-reactivity with other Fusarium toxins. The bioassay was applied to the analysis of the toxin in an oat reference material and in oat samples, with a LOD of 0.6 µg kg-1, and the results were validated by analysing a certificate reference material and by HPLC-MS/MS.

Sensitive Rapid Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay for Free Mycophenolic Acid Determination in Human Serum and Plasma.

In this Article, we describe a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) using a new label-near-infrared fluorescent dye. The developed FPIA method was optimized for the rapid analysis of free mycophenolic acid (MPA) in plasma of transplanted patients. The approach is based on the fluorescence competitive assay between the target immunosuppressant and a novel emissive near-infrared fluorescent dye-tagged MPA and MPA-AO for the binding sites of the anti-MPA antibody. The fluorescent analogue of MPA exhibits emission at 654 nm upon excitation at 629 nm (λexcmax) and shows a good photochemical stability and a significant emission quantum yield (0.16) in phosphate buffer media. Free mycophenolic acid was isolated from blood or plasma samples using ultrafiltration prior to analysis. The sample was incubated for 20 min with 5 µg/mL of anti-MPA antibody and 1 nM of MPA-AO before the measurements. The developed FPIA displays a limit of detection of 0.8 ng/mL (10% binding inhibition) and a dynamic range of 1.7-39 ng/mL (20%-80% binding inhibition) in a PBST buffer, fitting the therapeutic requirements. The immunoassay selectivity was evaluated by measuring the cross-reactivity to other immunosuppressive drugs administered in combination with MPA (cyclosporin A and tacrolimus), as well as for the metabolite MPA glucuronide. The assay has been successfully applied to the analysis of free MPA in the blood of a heart-transplanted patient after oral administration of both mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and tacrolimus, and the results have been compared with those obtained by rapid-resolution liquid chromatography with diode array detection (RRLC-DAD).

Optical Biosensors for Label-Free Detection of Small Molecules.

Label-free optical biosensors are an intriguing option for the analyses of many analytes, as they offer several advantages such as high sensitivity, direct and real-time measurement in addition to multiplexing capabilities. However, development of label-free optical biosensors for small molecules can be challenging as most of them are not naturally chromogenic or fluorescent, and in some cases, the sensor response is related to the size of the analyte. To overcome some of the limitations associated with the analysis of biologically, pharmacologically, or environmentally relevant compounds of low molecular weight, recent advances in the field have improved the detection of these analytes using outstanding methodology, instrumentation, recognition elements, or immobilization strategies. In this review, we aim to introduce some of the latest developments in the field of label-free optical biosensors with the focus on applications with novel innovations to overcome the challenges related to small molecule detection. Optical label-free methods with different transduction schemes, including evanescent wave and optical fiber sensors, surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and interferometry, using various biorecognition elements, such as antibodies, aptamers, enzymes, and bioinspired molecularly imprinted polymers, are reviewed.

Fluorescence based fiber optic and planar waveguide biosensors. A review.

The application of optical biosensors, specifically those that use optical fibers and planar waveguides, has escalated throughout the years in many fields, including environmental analysis, food safety and clinical diagnosis. Fluorescence is, without doubt, the most popular transducer signal used in these devices because of its higher selectivity and sensitivity, but most of all due to its wide versatility. This paper focuses on the working principles and configurations of fluorescence-based fiber optic and planar waveguide biosensors and will review biological recognition elements, sensing schemes, as well as some major and recent applications, published in the last ten years. The main goal is to provide the reader a general overview of a field that requires the joint collaboration of researchers of many different areas, including chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, and material science.