Authors
Po-Chih Wu, Shi-Yu Tseng, Shao-Yi Hou, Po-Shiuan Hsieh, Wen-Zhi Lin, Chin-Mao Hung
Published in
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). Volume 26. Issue 18. Sep 21, 2026. Epub Sep 21, 2026.
Abstract
Enhancing the visual detection sensitivity of point-of-care (POC) optical sensors without resorting to complex, multistep chemical or enzymatic signal amplification remains a major challenge in sensor nanotechnology. Here, we present a multifunctional bio-nanostructured hybrid platform that integrates engineered Escherichia coli cellular scaffolds with antibody-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for high-sensitivity, solution-phase colorimetric sensing. By exploiting the biotin-streptavidin interaction through the Lpp-OmpA outer-membrane display system, the engineered bacterial cells serve as high-capacity, multivalent biological interfaces with a large effective surface area and high recognition-site density. Using SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein as a model biomarker, target-mediated bridging between AuNP-antibody probes and bacterial scaffolds promotes localized AuNP assembly and enhanced plasmonic coupling, resulting in a distinct visual color change within 30 min. The optimized assay achieved a naked-eye limit of detection (LOD) of 10-12 mol, representing a 10-fold sensitivity enhancement over conventional scaffold-free AuNP assays. This study provides a proof of concept for leveraging engineered living cells as multifunctional nanostructured templates. The modular, plug-and-play architecture of the biotin-streptavidin coupling interface highlights its potential for adaptation to clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
PMID:
42817544
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Oct 2026.
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