Literature problem. The development of antibody-functionalized gold nanoparticles as reagents for spectrophotometric methods is an active area of research. The sensitivity of these methods depends on the amount of antibody on the nanoparticle. In Analyst 2016, 141, 3851-3857, S. L. Filbrun and J. D. Driskell describe a fluorescence method that directly quantifies the amount of antibody immobilized on gold nanoparticles.

a. How many antibodies adsorb onto each 60-nm 60-nm gold nanoparticle? How much would the conventional method overestimate the antibody surface coverage?

b. What alternate methods could be used for quantitation of the surface coverage of protein conjugated onto gold nanoparticles?

c. What fluorescent reagent was used? What were the excitation and emission wavelengths?

d. Is the fluorescence calibration linear?

e. What statistical test was used to compare the fluorescence method with an alternate method?

f. What is the y-intercept of the calibration curve for the absorbance assay using visible absorbance?