The present invention relates to a membrane based assay method, device and kit for rapid detection and/or quantification of endotoxins in aqueous solutions and test samples. The kit as per the present invention comprises lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affinity ligand conjugated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs); a membrane device comprising an endotoxin affinity membrane positioned parallelly to one or more layer(s) of a hydrophilic material, which are optionally secured in an enclosure; and optionally comprising an indicator chart for quantification of endotoxins in the sample. The method comprises placing the sample suspected of endotoxin contamination on a surface of a membrane comprised in a membrane device; placing once or more a suspension of LPS-affinity ligand conjugated with GNPs over the same area as the sample placed and detecting the presence of endotoxin if the colour signal appears and based on its intensity quantifying the endotoxin levels.

An analysis method irradiates, with laser light, an analysis substrate made of a resin material and having a reaction region on which detection target substances and nanoparticles of a metal compound for labeling the detection target substances are captured. The analysis method extracts, as a substrate signal level, a signal level generated when receiving reflected light from the analysis substrate. The analysis method receives reflected light from the reaction region to generate a light reception level signal. The analysis method extracts a nanoparticle detection signal from the light reception level signal of the reflected light from the reaction region, the nanoparticle detection signal having a higher level than the signal level of the reflected light from the analysis substrate. The analysis method detects the nanoparticles in accordance with the extracted nanoparticle detection signal.

Labelled silica nanoparticles for immunochromatographic reagent, comprising silica nanoparticles containing a labelled substance.

A system and method for isolating target substrates includes a microfluidic chip, comprising a plurality of processing units, each processing unit comprising: an inlet port, a plurality of first chambers connected to the inlet port by a fluid channel, the fluid channel comprising a plurality of valves, a plurality of second chambers, each of the second chambers connected to a respective first chamber by a fluid channel, each fluid channel including a controllable blocking valve, and a plurality of respective outlet ports, each outlet port in fluid communication with a respective one of said second chambers and each outlet port including a blocking valve. A magnet is adjacent the microfluidic chip and is movable relative to the microfluidic chip. A valve control is capable of actuating certain ones of the controllable blocking valves in response to a control signal.

The present invention provides, among other aspects, functionalized chromophoric polymer dots comprising a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic cap, and bioconjugates thereof. Also provided are improved methods for preparing functionalized chromophoric polymer dots. Methods for in vivo imaging and molecular labeling are also disclosed.

A nanosensor-containing polymer composition for the monitoring of physiological parameters and a method for making the composition are disclosed. The composition includes a nanosensor disposed in a crosslinked, hydrophilic polymer for transdermal application into an intradermal environment. The method involves forming a mixture including nanosensors and a crosslinked polymer precursor, and subjecting the mixture to conditions suitable for crosslinking the polymer precursor to provide a nanosensor-containing crosslinked polymer.

The present invention provides nanoparticles including a metallic core having a length along each axis of from 1 to 100 nanometers and a coating disposed on at least part of the surface of the metallic core, wherein the coating comprises polydopamine, along with methods for making and using such nanoparticles. The metallic core may be gold, silver or iron oxide and the polydopamine coating may have other substances bound to it, such as silver, targeting ligands or antibodies, or other therapeutic or imaging contrast agents. The disclosed nanoparticles can be targeted to cells for treating cancer or bacterial infections, and for use in diagnostic imaging.

Methods of producing light in liquid media are provided using nanoparticles capable of generating electroluminescence when stimulated by an electrical signal. The nanoparticles are provided as a label on a target species or on a specific binding partner of the target species to be detected in a test method. The nanoparticle-labeled species are drawn into operable proximity to electrodes which, when energized by a power source, excite the nanoparticles to produce electroluminescence. Methods of performing binding assays are described using the disclosed methods.

Disclosed herein are antibody-nanoparticle conjugates that include two or more nanoparticles (such as gold, palladium, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, iridium, or an alloy of two or more thereof) directly linked to an antibody or fragment thereof through a metal-thiol bond. Methods of making the antibody-nanoparticle conjugates disclosed herein include reacting an arylphosphine-nanoparticle composite with a reduced antibody to produce an antibody-nanoparticle conjugate. Also disclosed herein are methods for detecting a target molecule in a sample that include using an antibody-nanoparticle conjugate (such as the antibody-nanoparticle conjugates described herein) and kits for detecting target molecules utilizing the methods disclosed herein.

The present invention relates to glucose-responsive hyaluronic acid nanoparticles having boronic acid compounds chemically bonded thereto, and a composition including the same. When the nanoparticles according to the present invention are used, cancer may be diagnosed and treated using a cancer cell-specific biological mechanism, without the use of existing contrast agents and anticancer agents which have the problem of toxicity.