Nano-Probes for Point of Care Diagnostics

An emerging diagnostic platform is that based upon plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles are robust biosensors with several key features making them ideal for point of care and monitoring applications. i) Gold nanoparticles are relatively inexpensive (e.g. the red strip in home pregnancy tests is composed of gold particles and they wholesale for ~ 20 pence each); ii) Gold nanoparticles are established for clinical and vetinary use in lateral flow assays (e.g. pregnancy test); iii) Gold nanoparticles display a distinct red-blue colour change when binding biological targets in solution. This latter point will be the focus of this project. When the ligand for a pathogen is immobilized onto the particle surface it produces a red-blue colour shift (visible by the naked eye) when the pathogen is present and is hence ideally suited to point of care devices.

An emerging diagnostic platform is that based upon plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoparticles - due to their strong colouration and unique change in optical properties (colour) upon binding targets they are ideal sensors for 'easy point of care diagnostics' which the GibsonGroup have used for bacterial and toxin detection. This project will combine the expertise in the GibsonGroup in developing new biosensors (Molecular Biosystems, 2016, 12, 341, J. Mater. Chem. B., 2016, 4, 3046) with that of Iceni Diagnostics; a young and agile UK Biotech.

The project will seek to develop these nanosensors towards validated targets for detection, making use of precision polymer and materials chemistry, with modern glycobiology and nano science.