Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Lightguiding nanowires as a platform for sensitive detection of fluorescent biomolecules in non-transparent media, including whole human blood

Al-Khulaifi, Noah ; Valderas-Gutiérrez, Julia LU orcid ; Prinz, Christelle N. LU ; Linke, Heiner LU orcid and Davtyan, Rubina LU (2026) In Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X 32.
Abstract

Sensitive detection of biomolecules in complex, non-transparent biological media is highly desirable for diagnostics and food safety. Semiconductor nanowires (NW) strongly amplify fluorescence signals, however their application has been largely limited to transparent media due to the scattering and absorption arising in turbid sample matrices. We present a detection platform based on polymer-supported semiconductor NWs that enables highly sensitive fluorescent detection in turbid media using a model biotin–streptavidin system. By anchoring the NWs vertically in an optically transparent polymer, both excitation and emission are directed through the NWs rather than through the sample, thereby decoupling the optical path from the turbid... (More)

Sensitive detection of biomolecules in complex, non-transparent biological media is highly desirable for diagnostics and food safety. Semiconductor nanowires (NW) strongly amplify fluorescence signals, however their application has been largely limited to transparent media due to the scattering and absorption arising in turbid sample matrices. We present a detection platform based on polymer-supported semiconductor NWs that enables highly sensitive fluorescent detection in turbid media using a model biotin–streptavidin system. By anchoring the NWs vertically in an optically transparent polymer, both excitation and emission are directed through the NWs rather than through the sample, thereby decoupling the optical path from the turbid medium and reducing scattering- and absorption-related light attenuation. This enables sensitive detection of fluorescent signals from nanowire-bound molecules in highly scattering fluids using standard epi-fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate detection of fluorescently labeled streptavidin at 1 nM in reconstituted powdered milk and 100 pM in whole human blood and lipid emulsion. This method enables spatially resolved, highly sensitive measurements with minimal sample preprocessing and without relying on specialized techniques, such as TIRF.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bio-optics, Biosensor, Fluorescence, Human whole blood, Nanowire
in
Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X
volume
32
article number
100827
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105047015846
DOI
10.1016/j.biosx.2026.100827
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2a4ade9e-f601-4eb9-9285-c13177d64c31
date added to LUP
2026-10-01 10:32:39
date last changed
2026-10-02 03:26:57
@article{2a4ade9e-f601-4eb9-9285-c13177d64c31,
  abstract     = {{<p>Sensitive detection of biomolecules in complex, non-transparent biological media is highly desirable for diagnostics and food safety. Semiconductor nanowires (NW) strongly amplify fluorescence signals, however their application has been largely limited to transparent media due to the scattering and absorption arising in turbid sample matrices. We present a detection platform based on polymer-supported semiconductor NWs that enables highly sensitive fluorescent detection in turbid media using a model biotin–streptavidin system. By anchoring the NWs vertically in an optically transparent polymer, both excitation and emission are directed through the NWs rather than through the sample, thereby decoupling the optical path from the turbid medium and reducing scattering- and absorption-related light attenuation. This enables sensitive detection of fluorescent signals from nanowire-bound molecules in highly scattering fluids using standard epi-fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate detection of fluorescently labeled streptavidin at 1 nM in reconstituted powdered milk and 100 pM in whole human blood and lipid emulsion. This method enables spatially resolved, highly sensitive measurements with minimal sample preprocessing and without relying on specialized techniques, such as TIRF.</p>}},
  author       = {{Al-Khulaifi, Noah and Valderas-Gutiérrez, Julia and Prinz, Christelle N. and Linke, Heiner and Davtyan, Rubina}},
  keywords     = {{Bio-optics; Biosensor; Fluorescence; Human whole blood; Nanowire}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X}},
  title        = {{Lightguiding nanowires as a platform for sensitive detection of fluorescent biomolecules in non-transparent media, including whole human blood}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biosx.2026.100827}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.biosx.2026.100827}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}