Development of a NanoMIPs-SPR-Based Sensor for β-Lactoglobulin Detection

Abstract

Food manufacturers are aiming to manage the levels of cross-contamination of allergens within food processing plants and ultimately move away from precautionary labelling. Hence, the need for rapid methods to detect allergens cross-contamination. A sensitive and selective label-free nanoMIPs based sensor was developed and tested for the detection of β-lactoglobulin (BLG). NanoMIPs were synthesized using solid-phase synthesis and appeared as spherical nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 264–294 nm, using dynamic light scattering (DLS). The nanoMIPs were functionalized with amine groups and attached to the surface of the SPR gold chip via amine-coupling protocol. The SPR nanoMIPs-based sensor demonstrated a detection limit of 3 ng mL−1 (211 pM) over a linear range of 1–5000 ng mL−1, with binding affinity of 7.0 × 10−8 M and specificity towards BLG. With further testing and final optimization, the developed nanosensor can be integrated on-line or at-line cleaning-in-place (CIP) wash systems, allowing to effectively monitor milk protein allergens as a rapid, point-of-source methodology.