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Research Project: Rift Valley Fever Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Control Measures

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Title: Detection of multiple pathogens in serum using silica-encapsulated nanotags in a surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based immunoassay

Author
item NENG, JING - University Of Wyoming
item LI, YINA - University Of Wyoming
item DRISCOLL, ASHLEY - University Of Wyoming
item Wilson, William
item JOHNSON, PATRICK - University Of Wyoming

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/9/2018
Publication Date: 5/7/2018
Citation: Neng, J., Li, Y., Driscoll, A., Wilson, W.C., Johnson, P. 2018. Detection of multiple pathogens in serum using silica-encapsulated nanotags in a surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based immunoassay. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 66:22:5707-5712. https://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b00026

Interpretive Summary: A robust immunoassay using biosensor and nanotechnology has been developed to simultaneously detect trace quantities of multiple pathogens including West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever virus, and Yersinia pestis in fetal bovine serum. This highly sensitive multiplex immunoassay platform provides a promising method to detect various pathogens directly in crude serum samples without the tedious process of sample preparation, which is desirable for on-site diagnostic testing and real-time disease monitoring.

Technical Abstract: A robust immunoassay based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been developed to simultaneously detect trace quantities of multiple pathogenic antigens from West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever virus, and Yersinia pestis in fetal bovine serum. Antigens were detected by capture with silica-encapsulated nanotags and magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with polyclonal antibodies. The magnetic pull-down resulted in aggregation of the immune complexes, and the silica-encapsulated nanotags provided distinct spectra corresponding to each antigen captured. The limit of detection was ~10 pg/mL in 20% fetal bovine serum, a significant improvement over previous studies in terms of sensitivity, level of multiplexing and medium complexity. This highly sensitive multiplex immunoassay platform provides a promising method to detect various antigens directly in crude serum samples without the tedious process of sample preparation, which is desirable for on-site diagnostic testing and real-time disease monitoring.