The goal of this project is to implement a label-free efficient optical biosensing method for the detection of relevant disease biomarkers based on probing the photoluminescence of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) performed under one – and two – photon excitation.  Our one-step approach consists in analyizing the diffusion of GNPs aggregates induced by the interaction of antigen-labeled GNPs with antiboby molecules (biomarkers), in a femtoliter confocal volume, by monitoring the photoluminescence fluctuations. The two key objectives of this project are: (1) Demonstrate the feasibility of employing plasmon photoluminescence for screening the diffusion of GNPs of different size and shape through FCS, and (2) Provide proof of concept for detection of relevant disease biomarkers through FCS – based detection platform by using highly photoluminescent GNPs. 

Funding: Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, UEFISCDI

Program from PNII: Human Resources 

Budget: 549 700 lei (~ 123 000 EUR)

Perior: October 2015 - September 2017

Contract no.: 233/1.10.2015