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Naked-eye detection as a universal approach to lower the limit of detection of enzyme-linked immunoassays

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Abstract

Colorimetric biosensors for the detection of analytes with the naked eye are required in environmental monitoring, point-of-care diagnostics, and analyses in resources constrained settings, where detection instruments may not be available. However, instrument-based detection methods are usually more adequate for detecting small variations in the signal compared to naked-eye detection schemes, and consequently the limit of detection of the latter is usually higher than the former. Here, we demonstrate that the limit of detection of colorimetric enzyme-linked immunoassays can be decreased several orders of magnitude when using naked-eye detection instead of a spectrophotometer for detecting the signal. The key step to lower the limit of detection is adding a small volume of chromogenic substrate during the signal generation step. This generates highly colored solutions that can be easily visualized with the naked eye and recorded with the camera of a mobile phone. The proposed method does not require expensive equipment or complex protocols to enhance the signal, and therefore it is a universal approach to lower the limit of detection of colorimetric enzyme-linked immunoassays.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Tom West Analytical Fellowship and an Analytical Chemistry Summer Studentship from the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund, and by a research grant from Tenovus Scotland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Technology and Innovation Centre, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, Scotland, UK

    Erin F. O’Connor, Sureyya Paterson & Roberto de la Rica

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  1. Erin F. O’Connor
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  2. Sureyya Paterson
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  3. Roberto de la Rica
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Correspondence to Roberto de la Rica.

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O’Connor, E.F., Paterson, S. & de la Rica, R. Naked-eye detection as a universal approach to lower the limit of detection of enzyme-linked immunoassays. Anal Bioanal Chem 408, 3389–3393 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9453-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9453-8

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