Dried Blood Spot-Based Enzymatic Metallization for Point-of-Care Optical Detection of Disease Biomarkers
Author(s)
Le, Nam Viet
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Collections
Supplementary to:
Permanent Link
Abstract
Timely and accessible diagnostics are essential for effective disease diagnostics, public health interventions, and health outcomes in resource-limited areas. This thesis explores the adaptation of an enzymatic metallization-based optical biosensing platform to use real-world sample types such as dried blood spots (DBS) and fresh whole blood that would allow for in-field or at-home testing, eliminating the need for processing blood into the traditional sample types: serum and plasma. The platform is adapted from the MO-BEAM assay developed by the Sarkar Lab, which has high-throughput detection of disease-specific antibodies from minimal volumes of unprocessed clinical samples (DBS and fresh whole blood). Immunoassays targeting Flu and COVID-19 antigens showed strong IgG signals and detectable IgA and IgM signals in DBS, whole blood, and plasma, with technical replicates (n = 5) and strong biological replicate (n = 2) correlation across two donor samples. Signal strength from DBS and whole blood was comparable and, in some cases, stronger than plasma, validating the assay’s performance with DBS and whole blood for decentralized, point-of-care diagnostics. This study showcases the feasibility and potential of the enzymatic metallization platform for use in point-of-care diagnostics, offering a foundation for future research into multiplexed detection and broader, diverse donor cohorts.
Sponsor
Date
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Undergraduate Research Option Thesis