The research activities in Stage I (2022) of the project were carried out according to the plan of implementation, leading to the achievement of all the objectives.

• Creation of the official web page of the project

• Fabrication of support-substrates based on polystyrene beads self-assembled on glass slides -part 1

• Fabrication of plasmonic nanoplatforms based on silver coated self-assembled polystyrene beads -part 1

• Optical, morphological and spectroscopic characterization of the fabricated plasmonic nanoplatforms -part 1

• Fabrication and characterization of support-substrates based on gold electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles

• Obtaining  substrates based on gold electrodes functionalized with aptamers
  
  The research activities in Stage II (2023) of the project were carried out according to the plan of implementation, leading to the achievement of all the objectives.

• The official web page of the project was updated

• Fabrication of support-substrates based on polystyrene beads self-assembled on glass slides -part 2

• Fabrication of plasmonic nanoplatforms based on silver or gold coated self-assembled polystyrene beads -part 2

• Optical, morphological and spectroscopic characterization of the fabricated plasmonic nanoplatforms -part 2

• The optical properties of fabricated plasmonic nanoplatform were analyzed theoretically by Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD)

• Functionalization of the fabricated plasmonic nanoparticles with aptamers

• Fabrication and characterization of support-substrates based on gold electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles functionalized with aptamers 

• The SERS activity of plasmonic nanoplatforms was assessed by experiment and computation

• The specific capture aptamer-biomarker was investigated by SERS measurements
  
  

• The research activities in Stage III (2024) of the project were carried out according to the plan of implementation, leading to the achievement of all the objectives. 

• The official web page of the project was updated

• Fabrication and characterization of plasmonic nanoplatforms based on aptamer functionalized modified gold electrodes for the specific capture of MMP9 and BNP32 biomarkers

• Fabrication and characterization of substrates based on bacterial biofilm metallized with Au or Ag functionalized with aptamer for specific capture of MMP9 

• Fabrication and characterization of plasmonic nanoplatforms based on Au or Ag metallized nanopillar networks functionalized with aptamer for the specific capture of MMP9

• Control spectroscopic analyzes were performed to validate the binding of aptamers to the surface of the nanoplatforms and the specific aptamer-biomarker capture - part 2

• Spectroscopic analyzes were performed to validate the experimental demonstrator as an aptamer-based SERS biosensor for ultrasensitive and selective detection of MMP9 and BNP32

• Validation of the chemometric model for the analysis of MMP9 and BNP32 in serum samples 

• Sensitivity and selectivity tests were performed and the experimental demonstrator was validated as a SERS biosensor for specific and ultrasensitive detection

• Plasmonic nanoplatforms based on Au metallized bacterial biofilm brought to the TRL3 stage

• Plasmonic nanoplatforms based on networks of nanopillars metallized with Au brought to the TRL3 stage

• Plasmonic nanoplatforms based on rough gold electrodes brought to TRL4 stage

• During the implementation of the project, 4 classes of aptamer-functionalized plasmonic nanoplatforms with well-defined optical and morphological properties were fabricated, offering all the essential characteristics necessary for their integration in the construction of SERS aptasensors for medical diagnosis. The fabricated nanoplatforms were functionalized with aptamers to both recognize biomarkers of interest and act as intrinsic Raman reporters capable of providing a stable Raman signal that could be used to monitor the aptamer-biomarker recognition event. Plasmonic nanoplatforms have been exploited as sensitive optical transducers by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).