The formation of a protein corona, where proteins spontaneously adhere to the surface of nanomaterials in biological environments, leads to changes in their physicochemical properties and subsequently affects their intended biomedical functionalities. Most current methods to study protein corona formation are ensemble-averaging and either require fluorescent labeling, washing steps, or are only applicable to specific types of particles. Here we introduce real-time all-optical nanoparticle analysis by scattering microscopy (RONAS) to track the formation of protein corona in full serum, at the single-particle level, without any labeling. RONAS uses optical scattering microscopy and enables real-time and in situ tracking of protein adsorption on metallic and dielectric nanoparticles with different geometries directly in blood serum. We analyzed the adsorbed protein mass, the affinity, and the kinetics of the protein adsorption at the single particle level. While there is a high degree of heterogeneity from particle to particle, the predominant factor in protein adsorption is surface chemistry rather than the underlying nanoparticle material or size. RONAS offers an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms related to protein coronas and, thus, enables the development of strategies to engineer efficient bionanomaterials.

Continuous detection of critical markers directly at the point of interest and in undiluted biological fluids represents the next fundamental step in biosensing. The goal of realizing such a platform is utterly challenging because it requires a reversible biosensor that enables the tracking of pico- to nanomolar molecular concentrations over long time spans in a compact device. Here we describe a sensing method based on plasmon-enhanced fluorescence capable of single-molecule detection of unlabeled analyte by employing biofunctionalized gold nanoparticles. The very strong plasmon-enhanced fluorescence signals allow for single-molecule sensing in unaltered biological media, while the use of low-affinity interactions ensures the continuous tracking of increasing and decreasing analyte concentrations with picomolar sensitivity. We demonstrate the use of a sandwich assay for a DNA cancer marker with a limit of detection of picomolar and a time response of 10 min. The enhanced single-molecule signals will allow for miniaturization into a small and cheap platform with multiplexing capability for application in point-of-care diagnostics, monitoring of industrial processes, and safe keeping of the environment.

Continuous monitoring of the dynamic concentration of biomolecular compounds holds immense promise across multiple sectors, including healthcare, environmental management, food production, and drug development. Nevertheless, significant challenges persist in the advancement of biosensor technology, particularly regarding the continuous monitoring of ultralow concentrations directly in biological fluids. Here we detail the development of a novel biosensing platform based on a nanoparticle-on-film (NPoF) construct with single-molecule resolution. Interactions between single gold particles and a gold film are monitored with high signal-to-noise ratio owing to the resonant coupling between propagating and localized plasmons. The reversibility of the interactions provides for internal resetting, allowing for continuous biomolecular monitoring of ssDNA, micro RNA, and proteins. The combination of tailored surface chemistry and very small probe particles provides efficient mass transport and enables continuous monitoring at unprecedented sub-picomolar concentrations. We further introduce multicomponent kinetic fingerprinting that efficiently suppresses non-specific interactions and enables sub-picomolar continuous monitoring directly in full serum. In the future, the platform will enable the monitoring of species that are currently inaccessible due to their low concentrations and may find application in healthcare, environment and industrial settings.

Design of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle assemblies supported onto gold thin films for SPR biosensor applications: La bio-détection de molécules reposant sur le phénomène de résonnance plasmon permet de détecter des espèces en utilisant les propriétés optiques de films métalliques. L’utilisation de ce type de capteurs nécessite néanmoins l’augmentation de leurs performances afin de détecter des concentrations faibles d’analyte dans des milieux complexes. L’assemblage de nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer sur des substrats d’or, en utilisant des groupements complémentaires spécifiques via la méthode de chimie « click », permet de contrôler leur distribution spatiale à la surface du substrat. Les propriétés magnétiques portées par les nanoparticules sont ainsi étudiées en fonction de leurs distances inter-particules ainsi que de leurs tailles. Par ailleurs, le plasmon de surface du substrat étant directement influencé par l’assemblage des nanoparticules, il sera possible de contrôler la sensibilité du capteur pour étudier la détection de différentes biomolécules impliquées dans des processus biologiques. La présence des nanoparticules augmente les propriétés optiques intrinsèques de la surface du substrat et la géométrie de l’assemblage permet d’augmenter la quantité de biomolécules détectées.

Significant advances in synthesis and functionalization have provided state-of-the-art technology in controlling the physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials. These are finding numerous applications including in the biomedical field whereby nanoparticles are injected in vivo for medical imaging, theranostics and biosensing. However, interactions with proteins contained in biological fluids lead to the formation of a shell on the surface of the nanoparticles called "protein corona" (PC). PC plays a detrimental role for the intended applications as it may modify the interface of the nanoparticle and thereby block functional groups needed for recognition. It is therefore essential to understand the mechanisms of formation of these PCs in order to control the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles in complex biological fluids. Current characterization techniques can identify and quantify the composition of PCs using mass spectroscopy and electrophoresis. However, most of them do not enable real-time measurement in complex media because they require washing steps to remove excess protein. Finally, most techniques provide ensemble averages and are unable to access inter-particle heterogeneity. Here, we demonstrate the use of single-particle scattering microscopy combined with a microfluidic system to study PC formation in real-time at the single-nanoparticle level. The method is label-free and operates in undiluted blood serum. We probe PC formation on both, metallic and dielectric nanoparticles with different surface chemistries. Analysis of protein adsorption revealed unexpectedly strong heterogeneity whereby the amount of accumulated protein varies by up to a factor of 10 between the particles. Furthermore, it is found that the surface roughness of the nanoparticles affects the kinetics of the PC formation. The results of this in-situ characterization are a powerful tool to optimize the surface chemistry in order to minimize the formation of PCs and thus increase the efficiency of nanoparticles for applications such as targeted drug delivery.