UC Davis

Bacterial magnetic particles (BMPs) are an attractive carrier material for immunoassays because of their nanoscale size, dispersal ability, and membrane-bound structure. Antitetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) nanobodies (Nbs) in the form of monovalence (Nb1), bivalence (Nb2), and trivalence (Nb3) were biotinylated and immobilized onto streptavidin (SA)-derivatized BMPs to construct the complexes of BMP-SA-Biotin-Nb1, -Nb2, and -Nb3, respectively. An increasing order of binding capability of BMP-SA-Biotin-Nb1, -Nb2, and -Nb3 to TBBPA was observed. These complexes showed high resilience to temperature (90 °C), methanol (100%), high pH (12), and strong ionic strength (1.37 M NaCl). A BMP-SA-Biotin-Nb3-based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for TBBPA dissolved in methanol was developed, showing a half-maximum inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) of 0.42 ng mL^-1. TBBPA residues in landfill leachate, sewage, and sludge samples determined by this assay were in a range of -1, -1, and -1 (dw), respectively, correlating well with the results by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The BMP-SA-Biotin-Nb3 was reusable at least three times without significant loss of the binding capability. The BMP-SA-Biotin-Nb3-based ELISA, with a total assay time of less than 30 min, is promising for the rapid monitoring of TBBPA in the environment.