{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,13]],"date-time":"2026-09-13T23:57:39Z","timestamp":1789343859975,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,31]],"date-time":"2024-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1706659200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Griffith University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Micromachines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans have significant impacts on women\u2019s health and the economy worldwide. Current detection methods often require access to laboratory facilities that are costly, inconvenient, and slow to access. This often leads to self-diagnosis, self-treatment and eventual antifungal resistance. We have created a rapid (within five minutes), cost-effective, and user-friendly method for the early detection of Candida albicans. Our platform utilises aptamer-tagged-gold-core-shell nanoparticles for Candida albicans detection based on the presence of 1,3-\u03b2-d glucan molecules. Nanoparticle aggregation occurs in the presence of Candida albicans fungal cells, causing a redshift in the UV-visible absorbance, turning from pink\/purple to blue. This colour change is perceptible by the naked eye and provides a \u201cyes\u201d\/\u201cno\u201d result. Our platform was also capable of detecting Candida albicans from individual yeast colonies without prior sample processing, dilution or purification. Candida albicans yeast cells were detected with our platform at concentrations as low as 5 \u00d7 105 cells within a 50 \u03bcL sample volume. We believe that this technology has the potential to revolutionise women\u2019s health, enabling women to test for Candida albicans accurately and reliably from home. This approach would be advantageous within remote or developing areas.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mi15020216","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,31]],"date-time":"2024-01-31T09:41:59Z","timestamp":1706694119000},"page":"216","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Instant Candida albicans Detection Using Ultra-Stable Aptamer Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Kimberley","family":"Clack","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1164-3725","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed","family":"Sallam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"},{"name":"School of Environment and Science (ESC), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"},{"name":"Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3678-3575","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Serge","family":"Muyldermans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology (CMIM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Prabhakaran","family":"Sambasivam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1839-5111","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cong Minh","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"},{"name":"School of Environment and Science (ESC), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3626-5361","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nam-Trung","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Superti, F., and De Seta, F. 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