Nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) for fast, sensitive, and specific protein detection

Protein detection and quantification play critical roles in both basic research and clinical practice. Current detection platforms range from the widely used ELISA to more sophisticated, and more expensive, approaches such as digital ELISA. Despite advances, there remains a need for a method that combines the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of ELISA with the sensitivity and speed of modern approaches in a format suitable for both laboratory and rapid, point-of-care applications. Building on recent developments in DNA structural nanotechnology, we introduce the nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA), a detection platform based on easily constructed DNA nanodevices that change conformation upon binding to a target protein with the results read out by gel electrophoresis. NLISA is surface-free and includes a kinetic-proofreading step for purification, enabling both enhanced sensitivity and reduced cross-reactivity. We demonstrate femtomolar-level detection of prostate-specific antigen in biological fluids, as well as reduced cross-reactivity between different serotypes of dengue and also between a single-mutation and wildtype protein. NLISA is less expensive, uses less sample volume, is more rapid, and, with no washes, includes fewer hands-on steps than ELISA, while also achieving superior sensitivity. Our approach also has the potential to enable rapid point-of-care assays, as we demonstrate by performing NLISA with an iPad/iPhone camera for imaging.