Custom immuno-magnetic devices are desirable tools for biomedical and biotechnological applications. Herein, surface active maghemite nanoparticles (SAMNs) are proposed as a versatile platform for developing tailored immuno-magnetic nano-carriers by simple wet reactions. Two examples for conjugating native and biotinylated antibodies were presented along with their successful applications in the recognition of specific foodborne pathogens. Nanoparticles were functionalized with rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC), leading to a fluorescent nano-conjugate, and used for binding anti-Campylobacter fetus antibodies (SAMN@RITC@Anti-Cf). The microorganism was selectively captured in the presence of two other Campylobacter species (C. jejuni and C. coli), as verified by PCR. Alternatively, SAMNs were modified with avidin, forming a biotin-specific magnetic nano-carrier and used for the immobilization of biotinylated anti-Listeria monocytogenes antibodies (SAMN@avidin@Anti-Lm). This immuno-magnetic carrier was integrated in piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor for the detection of L. monocytogenes in milk, showing a detection limit of 3 bacterial cells. The present work presents a new category of customized immuno-magnetic nano-carriers as a competitive option for suiting specific applications. Graphical abstract ᅟ.
Keywords: Antibody conjugation; Campylobacter fetus; Immuno-magnetic separation; Listeria monocytogenes; Magnetic nano-carrier; Pathogen recognition.