A sensor array for detection proteins using lanthanide-doped nanoparticles

Lanthanide (Ln³⁺)-doped nanoparticles (NPs) have shown great promise in versatile bioassay. We constructed a supramolecular sensor array by hybridized time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) with the indicator displacement assay (IDA) concept. The sensor array was generated by binding a series of negatively charged indicators on the surface of NaYF_4:Ce/Tb NPs. The sensor array could successfully discriminate 6 model proteins with high accuracy and sensitivity both qualitatively and quantitatively.