Biomolecule-gated mesoporous materials with electrochemically triggered optical response for the sensitive, simple and rapid determination of trace contaminants in the turbid and complex matrix milk

• Applicant: Dr. Estela Climent Terol
• Subject Area: Analytical Chemistry ; Biomaterials
• Term: from 2018 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 413212321

The aim is to prepare new hybrid biomolecule-gated materials for the rapid and sensitive recognition of key mycotoxins and antibiotics in milk. The smart design of these materials relies on a larger number of electrochemiluminescent (ECL) indicator molecules being confined in highly porous nanoparticles, which are closed by few analyte-responsive caps attached to the outer surface. Advent of the analyte then uncaps the pores, leading to release of the stored indicators and efficient signal amplification. The materials will be incorporated into lateral flow formats for rapid and sensitive dip-stick assays with pre-printed microelectrodes, allowing for both, electrochemical excitation and optical interrogation with portable devices such as smartphones. Such ECL detection will guarantee ultratrace analytical sensitivity in the turbid and (bio-)chemically complex matrix milk without sample pretreatment. Besides dip-sticks, microfluidic platforms for the potential online monitoring of target compounds in nontransparent liquids will be developed. Different gatekeeper chemistries (antibodies, aptamers) will be compared, and ECL signaling will be benchmarked against conventional fluorescence detection in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, dynamic range and response time. The ambitious goal of simultaneously quantifying mycotoxins and antibiotics directly in the challenging matrix milk will serve as a critical test-bed for this promising new detection paradigm.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants