AMPLIFICATION OF SILVER-GOLD IMMUNO- AND DNA PROBES

NEW METHODOLOGIES WILL BE USED FOR THE DETECTION AND QUANTITIZATION OF VERY SMALL AMOUNTS OF PROTEINS AND DNA SEQUENCES. A NEW GOLD PARTICLE WILL BE USED TO LABEL TARGET BIOMOLECULES, THEN STAINED WITH METALLIC SILVER BY EXPOSURE TO AQUEOUS SILVER (I) IONS AND A REDUCING AGENT. THE SILVER WILL THEN BE EXTRACTED AND DETERMINED IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION, USING DYE COUPLING REACTIONS AT A POLYMER SURFACE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS. COLORIMETRIC ANALYSIS, CATALYTIC SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS AND ANODIC STRIPPING VOLTAMMETRY WILL ALSO BE USED TO DEVELOP FAST, SIMPLE AMPLIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE SILVER-STAINED GOLD LABEL. CALCULATIONS INDICATE THAT SENSITIVITIES OVER 10,000 TIMES GREATER THAN THOSE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE CAN BE ACHIEVED: THIS WOULD ALLOW THE DETECTION OF 1 X 10 TO THE -23 MOLE OF ANTIBODY OR DNA (EQUIVALENT TO 8 X 10 TO THE -19 G OF ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE, OR 1.2 X 10 TO THE -20 G OF A FOUR-BASE OLIGONUCLEOTIDE).