Development of Antibody-Conjugated Gold and Magnetic Nanocomposites for the Colorimetric Detection of Influenza A Virus

Abstract

A novel approach for the detection of influenza virus is of paramount importance for quick diagnosis and therapy. In this study monoclonal antibody (mAb)-conjugated MNPs/AuNPs were developed to detect the H1N1 virus. MNPs and AuNPs were synthesized and loaded with mAbs. The UV-vis spectra exhibited absorbance at 528 nm. XRD revealed the presence of crystalline particles with various diffraction peaks. FTIR confirmed the occurrence of capping molecules in the synthesized NPs. NP stability was evidenced by zeta measurements. The shape and size (mean size 15 nm) of the NPs were determined using SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this study the mAb–AuNPs produced a redshift in the absorption spectrum due to plasmon coupling. The absorption increased when H1N1 concentration increased from 0 to 5.0 ng/mL, with the detection limit being 0.05 ng/mL. The sensitivity of mAb–AuNPs was greater than that of ELISA. Since the mAb-AuNP-based colorimetric immunosensor is simple, cost-effective, and rapidly detects H1N1, it has good prospects in pharmaceuticals and clinical diagnosis.