Prototype of immunochromatographic assay strips using colloidal CdTe nanocrystals as biological luminescent label.

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have attracted considerable attention as a novel biological luminescent label. The bioinorganic conjugates of luminescent CdTe nanocrystals and protein, including CdTe/BSA (bovine serum albumin) and CdTe/MAB (mouse monoclonal antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen), were formed via electrostatic/coordination self-assembly. Pure CdTe nanocrystals, CdTe/BSA and CdTe/MAB were used in the immunochromatographic assay experiments, respectively. And the results indicated that CdTe nanocrystals could be used and developed as a novel label with good stability, high sensitivity and facile determination of several analytes in immunochromatographic assay strips.