How Saliva Interferes with Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Aptasensors: Understanding and Mitigating Surface Interactions

• DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c00310
• Publication Date: 2023-04-02T12:01:07Z
• Authors: Anindita Sen; Helen Poulsen; Sven Sondhauss; Justin M. Hodgkiss
• Keywords: Aptamer; Drug Detection

Colorimetric gold-nanoparticle-based biosensors are an attractive platform for the detection of small-molecule analytes. Taking advantage adsorption DNA aptamer probes on AuNPs, these sensors can be simple, rapid, sensitive, selective, and cost-effective. These properties important rapid drugs like methamphetamine in biological matrices. Saliva is a highly desirable matrix development diagnostic tests because saliva sampling minimally invasive drug levels relate to recent use rather than accumulation from historical use. However, complex fluid that presents multitude challenges when applying colorimetric aggregation assays. Here, we show contents interfere with sensor two main ways: (i) suppressing color change signals due proteins nonspecifically adsorbing nanoparticles (ii) blocking generating false specific electrolytes induce aggregation. With this knowledge, examine strategies mitigate effects, including sample collection pretreatment procedures. measures ultimately result detect spiked into samples suggest immense promise feasibility platforms on-site applications.