Advancing Chemical Education in Biotechnology Undergraduates: A Hands-On Laboratory Experiment to Teach the Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Biomarker Detection

The lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is a simple and cost-effective rapid diagnostic test designed for the on-site detection of disease biomarkers. In the context of introducing this technique to undergraduate biotechnology students, we propose a comprehensive 5 h laboratory experiment. This experiment covers various aspects, including the bioconjugation of gold nanoparticles with antibodies, optimization of the bioconjugation procedure using the gold aggregation test, lab-scale manufacturing of the test strips, and the detection of the human protein biomarker lactate dehydrogenase as a proof of concept. Several strategies are employed to assess student learning in the context of this laboratory experiment. These strategies include pre-lab and post-lab discussions, a rubric for practical skills, observation and feedback, and a post-lab assessment requiring students to answer three in-depth questions on the material, procedure, and fundamentals covered, concluding with an end-of-lab report. The main goal of this experiment is to highlight the pedagogical potential inherent in utilizing cost-effective and accessible laboratory tools, specifically lateral flow immunoassays. The aim of integrating these methodologies is to provide students with a concrete and experiential understanding of analytical chemistry, biosensing, and nanotechnology, which are continually evolving fields.