Usage of Graphene Oxide in Fluorescence Quenching-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Detection of Cry2Ab Protein Present in Transgenic Plants

Graphene oxide-based sensor technologies in various detection platforms have been adopted in multiple dimensions. Most of the applications in combination with other materials such as gold, silver, enzymes, and so forth are read as electrical, electrochemical, impedance, and fluorescence signals. We report the development of a novel and simple fluorescence quenching-based immunoassay platform that provides quantitative binding sites for the Cry2Ab protein content present in the transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) plant. In this assay, the graphene oxide-conjugated anti-Cry2Ab antibody serves as the binding site for the analyte Cry2Ab protein, which forms a complex with a second anti-Cry2Ab fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated antibody. This complex acts as the reaction center of this platform where the graphene oxide quenches the fluorescence signal of the FITC molecule. This microtiter plate-based method currently works at a sensitivity of 0.78 ng /ml, which can further be improved.