@phdthesis{Hildebrandt2006, author = {Hildebrandt, Niko}, title = {Lanthanides and quantum dots : time-resolved laser spectroscopy of biochemical F{\"o}rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) systems}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-12686}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2006}, abstract = {F{\"o}rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) plays an important role for biochemical applications such as DNA sequencing, intracellular protein-protein interactions, molecular binding studies, in vitro diagnostics and many others. For qualitative and quantitative analysis, FRET systems are usually assembled through molecular recognition of biomolecules conjugated with donor and acceptor luminophores. Lanthanide (Ln) complexes, as well as semiconductor quantum dot nanocrystals (QD), possess unique photophysical properties that make them especially suitable for applied FRET. In this work the possibility of using QD as very efficient FRET acceptors in combination with Ln complexes as donors in biochemical systems is demonstrated. The necessary theoretical and practical background of FRET, Ln complexes, QD and the applied biochemical models is outlined. In addition, scientific as well as commercial applications are presented. FRET can be used to measure structural changes or dynamics at distances ranging from approximately 1 to 10 nm. The very strong and well characterized binding process between streptavidin (Strep) and biotin (Biot) is used as a biomolecular model system. A FRET system is established by Strep conjugation with the Ln complexes and QD biotinylation. Three Ln complexes (one with Tb3+ and two with Eu3+ as central ion) are used as FRET donors. Besides the QD two further acceptors, the luminescent crosslinked protein allophycocyanin (APC) and a commercial fluorescence dye (DY633), are investigated for direct comparison. FRET is demonstrated for all donor-acceptor pairs by acceptor emission sensitization and a more than 1000-fold increase of the luminescence decay time in the case of QD reaching the hundred microsecond regime. Detailed photophysical characterization of donors and acceptors permits analysis of the bioconjugates and calculation of the FRET parameters. Extremely large F{\"o}rster radii of more than 100 {\AA} are achieved for QD as acceptors, considerably larger than for APC and DY633 (ca. 80 and 60 {\AA}). Special attention is paid to interactions with different additives in aqueous solutions, namely borate buffer, bovine serum albumin (BSA), sodium azide and potassium fluoride (KF). A more than 10-fold limit of detection (LOD) decrease compared to the extensively characterized and frequently used donor-acceptor pair of Europium tris(bipyridine) (Eu-TBP) and APC is demonstrated for the FRET system, consisting of the Tb complex and QD. A sub-picomolar LOD for QD is achieved with this system in azide free borate buffer (pH 8.3) containing 2 \% BSA and 0.5 M KF. In order to transfer the Strep-Biot model system to a real-life in vitro diagnostic application, two kinds of imunnoassays are investigated using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) as analyte. HCG itself, as well as two monoclonal anti-HCG mouse-IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies are labeled with the Tb complex and QD, respectively. Although no sufficient evidence for FRET can be found for a sandwich assay, FRET becomes obvious in a direct HCG-IgG assay showing the feasibility of using the Ln-QD donor-acceptor pair as highly sensitive analytical tool for in vitro diagnostics.}, language = {en} } @article{HildebrandtCharbonniereBecketal.2005, author = {Hildebrandt, Niko and Charbonniere, Lo{\"i}c J. and Beck, Michael and Ziessel, Raymond F. and L{\"o}hmannsr{\"o}ben, Hans-Gerd}, title = {Quantum dots as efficient energy acceptors in a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay}, issn = {1433-7851}, year = {2005}, language = {en} } @article{HildebrandtGeissler2012, author = {Hildebrandt, Niko and Geissler, Daniel}, title = {Semiconductor quantum dots as FRET acceptors for multiplexed diagnostics and molecular ruler application}, series = {Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology}, volume = {733}, journal = {Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology}, editor = {Zahavy, E and Ordentlich, A and Yitzhaki, S and Shafferman, A}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, isbn = {978-94-007-2554-6}, issn = {0065-2598}, doi = {10.1007/978-94-007-2555-3_8}, pages = {75 -- 86}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Applications based on Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) play an important role for the determination of concentrations and distances within nanometer-scale systems in vitro and in vivo in many fields of biotechnology. Semiconductor nanocrystals (Quantum dots - QDs) possess ideal properties for their application as FRET acceptors when the donors have long excited state lifetimes and when direct excitation of QDs can be efficiently suppressed. Therefore, luminescent terbium complexes (LTCs) with excited state lifetimes of more than 2 ms are ideal FRET donor candidates for QD-acceptors. This chapter will give a short overview of theoretical and practical background of FRET, QDs and LTCs, and present some recent applications of LTC-QD FRET pairs for multiplexed ultra-sensitive in vitro diagnostics and nanometer-resolution molecular distance measurements.}, language = {en} } @article{KadjaneStarckCamereletal.2009, author = {Kadjane, Pascal and Starck, Matthieu and Camerel, Franck and Hill, Diana and Hildebrandt, Niko and Ziessel, Raymond and Charbonni{\`e}re, Lo{\"i}c J.}, title = {Divergent approach to a large variety of versatile luminescent lanthanide complexes}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/Ic9001169}, year = {2009}, abstract = {Using a regioselective strategy for nucleophilic aromatic substitution on polyfluoropyridines, a nonacoordinating precursor was designed that is adequately suited for complexation of lanthanide cations. Further functionalizations afforded numerous applications for near-IR emission, two-photon absorption spectroscopy, or the formation of luminescent gels.}, language = {en} } @article{KupstatKumkeHildebrandt2011, author = {Kupstat, Annette and Kumke, Michael Uwe and Hildebrandt, Niko}, title = {Toward sensitive, quantitative point-of-care testing (POCT) of protein markers miniaturization of a homogeneous time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for prostate-specific antigen detection}, series = {The analyst : the analytical journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry}, volume = {136}, journal = {The analyst : the analytical journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry}, number = {5}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {0003-2654}, doi = {10.1039/c0an00684j}, pages = {1029 -- 1035}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Point-of-care testing (POCT) systems which allow for a sensitive, quantitative detection of protein markers are extremely useful for the early detection and therapy progress monitoring of cancer. However, currently commercially available POCT devices are mainly limited to the qualitative detection of protein markers. In this study we demonstrate the successive miniaturization of a sensitive and fast assay for the quantitative detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) using a well established and clinically approved homogeneous time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay technology (TRACE (R)) on a commercial plate-reader system (KRYPTOR (R)). Regarding the initial requirements for the development of POCT devices we applied a 30-fold assay volume reduction (150 mu L to 5 mu L) to achieve a reasonable lab-on-a-chip volume and a 24-fold and 120-fold excitation pulse energy reduction to achieve reasonable pulse energies for low-cost miniature excitation sources. Due to highly efficient optimization of key POCT parameters our miniaturized PSA assay achieved a 30\% increased sensitivity and a 2-fold improved limit of detection compared to the standard plate-reader method. Our results demonstrate the successful implementation of key parameters for a significant miniaturization and for cost reduction in the clinically approved KRYPTOR (R) platform for protein detection. The technological alterations required are easy-to-implement and can be immediately adapted for more than 30 diagnostic protein markers already available for the KRYPTOR (R) platform. These features strongly recommend our assay format to be utilized in innovative, sensitive, quantitative POCT of protein markers.}, language = {en} } @misc{LoehmannsroebenBeckHildebrandtetal.2006, author = {L{\"o}hmannsr{\"o}ben, Hans-Gerd and Beck, Michael and Hildebrandt, Niko and Schm{\"a}lzlin, Elmar and van Dongen, Joost T.}, title = {New challenges in biophotonics : laser-based fluoroimmuno analysis and in-vivo optical oxygen monitoring}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-10120}, year = {2006}, abstract = {Two examples of our biophotonic research utilizing nanoparticles are presented, namely laser-based fluoroimmuno analysis and in-vivo optical oxygen monitoring. Results of the work include significantly enhanced sensitivity of a homogeneous fluorescence immunoassay and markedly improved spatial resolution of oxygen gradients in root nodules of a legume species.}, subject = {Sauerstoff}, language = {en} } @article{MorgnerStuflerGeissleretal.2011, author = {Morgner, Frank and Stufler, Stefan and Geissler, Daniel and Medintz, Igor L. and Algar, W. Russ and Susumu, Kimihiro and Stewart, Michael H. and Blanco-Canosa, Juan B. and Dawson, Philip E. and Hildebrandt, Niko}, title = {Terbium to quantum dot FRET Bioconjugates for clinical diagnostics influence of human plasma on optical and assembly properties}, series = {Sensors}, volume = {11}, journal = {Sensors}, number = {10}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1424-8220}, doi = {10.3390/s111009667}, pages = {9667 -- 9684}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from luminescent terbium complexes (LTC) as donors to semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) as acceptors allows extraordinary large FRET efficiencies due to the long Forster distances afforded. Moreover, time-gated detection permits an efficient suppression of autofluorescent background leading to sub-picomolar detection limits even within multiplexed detection formats. These characteristics make FRET-systems with LTC and QDs excellent candidates for clinical diagnostics. So far, such proofs of principle for highly sensitive multiplexed biosensing have only been performed under optimized buffer conditions and interactions between real-life clinical media such as human serum or plasma and LTC-QD-FRET-systems have not yet been taken into account. Here we present an extensive spectroscopic analysis of absorption, excitation and emission spectra along with the luminescence decay times of both the single components as well as the assembled FRET-systems in TRIS-buffer, TRIS-buffer with 2\% bovine serum albumin, and fresh human plasma. Moreover, we evaluated homogeneous LTC-QD FRET assays in QD conjugates assembled with either the well-known, specific biotin-streptavidin biological interaction or, alternatively, the metal-affinity coordination of histidine to zinc. In the case of conjugates assembled with biotin-streptavidin no significant interference with the optical and binding properties occurs whereas the histidine-zinc system appears to be affected by human plasma.}, language = {en} } @misc{NiederkruegerSalbBecketal.2006, author = {Niederkr{\"u}ger, Matthias and Salb, Christian and Beck, Michael and Hildebrandt, Niko and L{\"o}hmannsr{\"o}ben, Hans-Gerd and Marowsky, Gerd}, title = {Improvement of a fluorescence immunoassay with a compact diode-pumped solid state laser at 315 nm}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-10150}, year = {2006}, abstract = {We demonstrate the improvement of fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) diagnostics in deploying a newly developed compact diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) laser with emission at 315 nm. The laser is based on the quasi-three-level transition in Nd:YAG at 946 nm. The pulsed operation is either realized by an active Q-switch using an electro-optical device or by introduction of a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber as passive Q-switch element. By extra-cavity second harmonic generation in different nonlinear crystal media we obtained blue light at 473 nm. Subsequent mixing of the fundamental and the second harmonic in a β-barium-borate crystal provided pulsed emission at 315 nm with up to 20 μJ maximum pulse energy and 17 ns pulse duration. Substitution of a nitrogen laser in a FIA diagnostics system by the DPSS laser succeeded in considerable improvement of the detection limit. Despite significantly lower pulse energies (7 μJ DPSS laser versus 150 μJ nitrogen laser), in preliminary investigations the limit of detection was reduced by a factor of three for a typical FIA.}, subject = {Immunoassay}, language = {en} } @article{SellrieBeckHildebrandtetal.2010, author = {Sellrie, Frank and Beck, Michael and Hildebrandt, Niko and Micheel, Burkhard}, title = {A homogeneous time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) using antibody mediated luminescence quenching}, issn = {1759-9660}, doi = {10.1039/C0ay00306a}, year = {2010}, abstract = {The determination of low-molecular weight substances (haptens) is demonstrated with a homogeneous time-resolved immunoassay using antibody-induced luminescence quenching. Our novel assay technology uses the newly developed monoclonal antibody (G24-BA9) to quench the luminescence of europium trisbipyridine (EuTBP). We performed a competitive biotin immunoassay including an EuTBP-biotin conjugate, the anti-EuTBP antibody G24-BA9 and streptavidin as assay components. Steric hindrance allows only the binding of either G24-BA9 (to the EuTBP moiety) or streptavidin (to the biotin moiety) to the EuTBP-biotin conjugate. Addition of the analyte biotin resulted in the binding of streptavidin to biotin and a concomitant preferred binding of G24-BA9 to EuTBP-biotin. Since G24-BA9 quenches the luminescence of EuTBP within the conjugate, the luminescence signal could be used to indicate and quantify the presence of free biotin in the system. All experiments were carried out in solution in the presence of 5\% serum demonstrating the possibility of using our novel assay for a very fast determination of low molecular weight substances in biological fluids.}, language = {en} }