Hybrid Aptamer-Antibody Linked Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Based Detection of Trinitrotoluene

• Published in: Analytical chemistry (Washington) Vol. 86; no. 15; pp. 7200 - 7204
• Main Authors: Sabherwal, Priyanka, Shorie, Munish, Pathania, Preeti, Chaudhary, Shilpa, Bhasin, K. K, Bhalla, Vijayender, Suri, C. Raman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 05.08.2014
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Antibodies; Antibodies - chemistry; Aptamers, Nucleotide - chemistry; Base Sequence; Energy transfer; Explosives; Fluorescence; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; Format; Fretting; Immunoassay; Macromolecules; Molecular Sequence Data; Recognition; TNT; Trinitrotoluene - analysis
• ISSN: 0003-2700; 1520-6882
• DOI: 10.1021/ac501388a

Combining synthetic macromolecules and biomolecular recognition units are promising in developing novel diagnostic and analysis techniques for detecting environmental and/or clinically important substances. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) apta-immunosensor for explosive detection is reported using 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) specific aptamer and antibodies tagged with respective FRET pair dyes in a sandwich immunoassay format. FITC-labeled aptamer was used as a binder molecule in the newly developed apta-immunoassay format where the recognition element was specific anti-TNT antibody labeled with rhodamine isothiocyanate. The newly developed sensing platform showed excellent sensitivity with a detection limit of the order of 0.4 nM presenting a promising candidate for routine screening of TNT in samples.