An immunosensor with potential for the detection of viral antigens in bodyfluids, based on surface second harmonic generation

Field methods of assessing the immune status of animals are required to opt imise vaccination programmes to control bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus. An optoelectronic immunosensor was evaluated for the detection of viral an tigens in a crude cell lysate in a pilot study. Binding of (BVD) virus anti gen by two monoclonal antibodies immobilised on two different media (ELISA plate wells, and glass coverslips) was detected and quantified using the la ser induced surface second harmonic generation (SSHG) technique. The result s for both assays were correlated with an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) used for the diagnosis of BVD virus infection in cattle (ELISA plate; R-2 = 0.86, coverslips; Exp. 1; R-2 = 0.75, Exp. 2; R-2 = 0.67). The method wil l allow rapid detection of antigens in the body fluids of farm animals. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.