Reoccurring cases of E. coli and salmonella tainted food supplies, urges the scientific community to advance the speed and accuracy of detection methods. In response, we have developed a novel platform for the detection of microorganisms based on fluorescence spectroscopy. The optical reporter consists of electrostatic nanoaggregates containing anionic conjugated oligoelectrolytes and cationic peptides. Cationic peptides have shown antimicrobial activity against a variety of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and even yeast. Specifically, for the case of bacteria, cationic peptides are well suited to be electrostatically attracted to the negatively charged lipopolysaccharides on the surface of the bacteria. We will discuss the ability to modify the sensitivity and spectral response of the nanoaggregates based on the choice of aqueous media, peptide length, overall charge, and charge density. Methods to characterize the aggregates will also be discussed.

Properties of cationic peptide anionic oligomer nanoaggregates for biosensor application

239th National Meeting (2010)

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