Abstract
In this work, different methodologies were evaluated in search of robust, simple, rapid, ultrasensitive, and user-friendly lateral flow aptamer assays. In one approach, we developed a competitive based lateral flow aptamer assay, in which beta-conglutin immobilized on the test line of a nitrocellulose membrane and beta-conglutin in the test sample compete for binding to AuNP labeled aptamer. The control line exploits an immobilized DNA probe complementary to the labeled aptamer, forcing displacement of the aptamer from the beta-conglutin-aptamer complex. In a second approach, the competition for aptamer binding takes place off-strip, and following competition, aptamer bound to the immobilized beta-conglutin is eluted and used as a template for isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification, exploiting tailed primers, resulting in an amplicon of a duplex flanked by single stranded DNA tails. The amplicon is rapidly and quantitatively detected using a nucleic acid lateral flow with an immobilized capture probe and a gold nanoparticle labeled reporter probe. The competitive lateral flow is completed in just 5 min, achieving a detection limit of 55 pM (1.1 fmol), and the combined competitive-amplification lateral flow requires just 30 min, with a detection limit of 9 fM (0.17 amol).