Abstract
The application of quantum dots (QDs) as labels in immunoassay microarrays for the multiplex detection of 3‐phenoxybenzoic acid (PBA) and atrazine‐mercapturate (AM) has been demonstrated. PBA and AM are biomarkers of exposure to the pyrethroid insecticides and to the herbicide atrazine, respectively. Microarrays were fabricated by microcontact printing of the coating antigens in line patterns onto glass substrates. Competitive immunoassays were successfully performed using QDs (QD560 and QD620) as reporters. The multiplexed immunoassays were characterized by fluorescence microscopy and SEM. The application of QD fluorophores facilitates multiplex assays and therefore can contribute to enhanced throughput in biomonitoring.
The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation, grant DBI‐0102662, the Superfund Basic Research Program with Grant 5P42ES04699 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, US Department of Agriculture, under Award No. 05‐35603‐16280. We gratefully acknowledge the leadership and friendship of Dr. Bertold Hock in the environmental biosensor field.