Assay based on particles, which specifically bind with targets in spatially distributed characteristic patterns
The invention provides a particle comprising a surface, wherein a portion of the surface is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation and another portion of the surface is capable of emitting a differential electromagnetic radiation (either different intensity, different frequency or no radiation), and wherein the arrangement of said portions of the surface defines a spatially distributed code for identifying the particle. The invention also provides method of manufacturing a particle having an identifying code comprising providing a particle with a functionalized surface which comprises functional binding moieties and selectively removing a plurality of the functional binding moieties from the surface to create a pattern of functionalized and differentially-functionalized zones on the surface. Various liquid-based assay methods employing the particle of the invention and a kit comprising the particle of the invention are also disclosed.
1. A uniquely coded target-specific particle for detecting the presence of molecules of a specific target in a solution, the target-specific particle comprising:
a plurality of functionalized zones comprising functional binding moieties configured to bind with the target molecules and a plurality of differentially-functionalized zones configured to not bind with the target molecules;
wherein the plurality of functionalized zones and the plurality of differentially-functionalized zones are arranged on the target-specific particle in a spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, whereby to create a unique particle code for that target-specific particle, with the unique particle code being correlated with the binding capabilities and the spatially-distributed binding sites of the target-specific particle;
whereby, (i) when the target-specific particle is introduced into a solution containing optically-labeled target molecules which are capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation, the optically-labeled target molecules bind to the plurality of functionalized zones of the target-specific particle so that the target molecules are bound to the target-specific particle in the spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, and (ii) when the target-specific particle with the target molecules bound thereto is thereafter passed through an appropriate reader, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the optically-labeled target molecules bound to the plurality of functionalized zones of the target-specific particle appear in the spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, thereby identifying the target-specific particle with its bound target molecules, and detecting the presence of the target molecules in the solution.
2. The target-specific particle of claim 1 , wherein the optically-labeled target emits electromagnetic radiation within the range from ultraviolet to infrared.
3. The target-specific particle of claim 1 , wherein the optically-labeled target emits electromagnetic radiation between 400 nm to 1 μm.
4. The target-specific particle of claim 1 , wherein the optically-labeled target emits electromagnetic radiation of differing intensities.
5. The target-specific particle of claim 1 , wherein (i) the target-specific particle has a given length, and (ii) each of the portions has a length which is at least an order of magnitude less than the length of the target-specific particle.
6. The target-specific particle of claim 5 , wherein the length of each of the portions is between 1 μm and 50 μm.
7. The particle of claim 1 , wherein the particle has a shape chosen from the group consisting of cylindrical, spherical, conical, elliptical, bar-like, slab-like, ribbon-like, ovoid, spiral, amoeba-like, tube-like, and combinations thereof.
8. The particle of claim 7 wherein the particle has a width to length ratio which is from about 1:2 to about 1:10.
9. The particle of claim 7 , wherein the particle has a width to length ratio which is from about 1:3 to about 1:5.
10. The particle of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the particle is chosen from the group consisting of flat, curved, rough, smooth, undulating and combinations thereof.
11. The particle of claim 1 , wherein the particle is formed from a material chosen from the group consisting of polymers, composites, inorganics, natural products, and combinations thereof.
12. The particle of claim 11 , wherein the polymers are chosen from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, conducting polymers, and combinations thereof.
13. The particle of claim 11 , wherein the composites are chosen from the group consisting of glass fiber composites, carbon fiber composites, and combinations thereof.
14. The particle of claim 11 , wherein the natural products are chosen from the group consisting of silk, wax, rubber, resins, and combinations thereof.
15. A system for detecting the presence of molecules of a plurality of specific targets in a solution, the system comprising:
a plurality of different target-specific particles, wherein each of the different target-specific particles comprises:
a plurality of functionalized zones comprising functional binding moieties configured to bind with the target molecules and a plurality of differentially-functionalized zones configured to not bind with the target molecules;
wherein the plurality of functionalized zones and the plurality of differentially-functionalized zones are arranged on the target-specific particle in a spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, whereby to create a unique particle code for that target-specific particle, with the unique particle code being correlated with the binding capabilities and the spatially-distributed binding sites of the target-specific particle; and
a solution containing a plurality of optically-labeled targets, the optically-labeled targets being capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation;
whereby, (i) when the plurality of different uniquely coded target-specific particles for detecting the presents of molecules of a plurality of targets in the solution, wherein each of the target-specific particles binds the molecules of a specific target is introduced into the solution containing the optically-labeled target molecules, the optically-labeled target molecules bind to the plurality of functionalized zones of the appropriate target-specific particles so that the target molecules are bound to the appropriate target-specific particles in the spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to those target-specific particles, and (ii) when the target-specific particles with the target molecules bound thereto are thereafter passed through an appropriate reader, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the optically-labeled target molecules bound to the plurality of functionalized zones of the target-specific particles appears in the spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to those target-specific particles, thereby identifying those target-specific particles with bound target molecules, and detecting the presence of the target molecules in a solution.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the optically-labeled target emits electromagnetic radiation within the range from ultraviolet to infrared.
17. The system 15 , wherein the optically-labeled target emits electromagnetic radiation between 400 nm to 1 μm.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the optically-labeled target emits electromagnetic radiation of differing intensities.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein (i) the target-specific particle has a given length, and (ii) each of the portions has a length which is at least an order of magnitude less than the length of the target-specific particle.
20. The system target-specific particle of claim 19 , wherein the length of each of the portions is between 1 μm and 50 μm.
21. The particle of claim 15 , wherein the particle has a shape chosen from the group consisting of cylindrical, spherical, conical, elliptical, bar-like, slab-like, ribbon-like, ovoid, spiral, amoeba-like, tube-like, and combinations thereof.
22. The particle of claim 21 wherein the particle has a width to length ratio which is from about 1:2 to about 1:10.
23. The particle of claim 21 , wherein the particle has a width to length ratio which is from about 1:3 to about 1:5.
24. The particle of claim 15 , wherein the surface of the particle is chosen from the group consisting of flat, curved, rough, smooth, undulating and combinations thereof.
25. The particle of claim 15 , wherein the particle is formed from a material chosen from the group consisting of polymers, composites, inorganics, natural products, and combinations thereof.
26. The particle of claim 25 , wherein the polymers are chosen from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, conducting polymers, and combinations thereof.
27. The particle of claim 25 , wherein the composites are chosen from the group consisting of glass fiber composites, carbon fiber composites, and combinations thereof.
28. The particle of claim 25 , wherein the natural products are chosen from the group consisting of silk, wax, rubber, resins, and combinations thereof.