SERS based immunoassays for point-of-care diagnostics is a promising tool to facilitate biomarker detection for early disease diagnosis and control. The technique is based on a sandwiched system in which antigen is first captured by a selective substrate and then labeled by an extrinsic Raman label (ERL). Here, we report on the use of gold nanoparticle modified filter paper as a novel capture membrane in a vertical flow format. The filter paper was selected due to its affordability and availability, while the embedded AuNPs maximized plasmonic coupling and SERS enhancement. Additionally, the embedded AuNP served as a scaffold to immobilize capture antibody to specifically bind antigen. In this work, a SERS-based rapid vertical flow (RVF) immunoassay for detection of mouse IgG was developed to establish proof of principle. Optimization of assay conditions led to a limit of detection that is comparable to more traditional formats carried out in multi-well plates and significantly reduced assay time to less than 10 minutes. These preliminary results highlight the potential advantages of the SERS RVF platform for point of need diagnostics.

Rapid vertical flow assay on AuNP plasmonic paper for SERS-based point of need diagnostics

2019 Fall National Meeting

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