This study introduces an electrophoresis-assisted surface-enhanced Raman scattering lateral flow assay (E-SERS-LFA) designed for simultaneous detection of human immunodeficiency virus core antigen p24 (HIV p24) and hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg). The underlying rationale is to combine electrophoretic enrichment with SERS-based readout to overcome well-known limitations of traditional lateral flow assays (LFAs), namely insufficient sensitivity and reduced specificity when antigen concentrations are low or when assays are performed in complex biological matrices such as serum.
Conventional LFAs typically rely on capillary flow and colorimetric reporters and can struggle with low-abundance targets and non-specific background. The E-SERS-LFA approach applies an external voltage to mobilize charged antigens across a nitrocellulose membrane, enhancing target separation and concentrating analytes at the detection region before identification using Raman-encoded SERS nanotags.
The reported platform integrates electrophoresis into a lateral flow format. Applying a defined voltage across the nitrocellulose (NC) membrane drives charged viral antigens, promoting improved migration, separation from matrix components, and local enrichment at capture zones. Detection is performed using SERS nanotags encoded with distinct Raman signatures to allow multiplexed readout of both HIV p24 and HBsAg.
Using Raman-encoded nanotags permits sensitive optical detection based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering rather than relying solely on visual color change. The combination of electrophoretic transport and SERS readout is intended to increase the effective concentration of target molecules at the test lines and improve signal-to-noise ratio, addressing interference from serum proteins and other sample constituents.
According to the source abstract, the E-SERS-LFA delivered substantially improved analytical sensitivity relative to both traditional colorimetric LFA and SERS-LFA platforms operated without electrophoresis. Specifically, the electrophoresis-assisted system achieved more than a 15-fold lower detection limit compared with the comparator platforms reported in the article.
This magnitude of improvement indicates a marked gain in the ability to detect low-abundance viral antigens, which is critical for early diagnosis during acute infection windows or for identifying low-level antigenemia in co-infected individuals. The study frames the enhanced sensitivity as addressing a core shortcoming of point-of-care LFAs in detecting early or low-titer infections.
The authors report that the E-SERS-LFA showed strong selectivity in mixed sera, suggesting reliable discrimination between target antigens and non-target components of clinical matrices. Electrophoretic separation prior to detection is presented as a strategy to reduce matrix-related false signals and improve specificity when testing biological fluids.
Multiplexed detection of HIV p24 and HBsAg in the same strip is enabled by distinct Raman codes on the SERS nanotags, allowing simultaneous identification of both viral antigens in a single run. This concurrent detection is particularly relevant for screening and early identification of HIV/HBV co-infections.
The study positions E-SERS-LFA as a promising advancement for point-of-care diagnostics, especially for early detection and management of HIV and HBV co-infections in high-risk or resource-limited settings. Enhanced sensitivity and selectivity could permit earlier clinical decisions, linkage to care, and appropriate management strategies where laboratory infrastructure for nucleic acid testing or more complex immunoassays is limited.
Multiplexed capability also supports screening workflows that aim to identify multiple pathogens from a single specimen, potentially improving screening efficiency in public health and clinical settings.
The source material available here is the PubMed abstract and associated metadata. It reports key findings—concept, mechanism (electrophoresis-driven enrichment and SERS nanotag detection), and a comparative improvement (>15-fold lower detection limits) and selectivity in mixed sera—but does not provide detailed experimental parameters in this summary. Specifics that are not reported in the abstract include raw numerical limits of detection for each antigen, assay run time, applied voltages and durations, sample volume requirements, clinical sample sizes, statistical analyses, and operational considerations such as device integration, user steps, stability, or cost.
Readers interested in detailed protocols, quantitative analytical performance for each analyte, or clinical validation should consult the full text of the article referenced by PMID 42008958 or DOI 10.1016/j.bios.2026.118701.
The work is published in Biosensors & Bioelectronics and is categorized as an evaluation study. Authors are affiliated with Chung-Ang University (Department of Chemistry) and Hainan Medical University and related key laboratories. The PubMed record lists the article as Epub 2026 Apr 16 with DOI 10.1016/j.bios.2026.118701 and PMID 42008958. Keywords provided by the article include Dual virus detection; Electrophoresis-assisted LFA; HBsAg; HIV p24; Surface-enhanced Raman scattering.
Declaration of competing interest in the PubMed record reiterates the technology’s claimed advantages—enhanced separation and enrichment via an applied electric field, Raman-encoded SERS nanotag detection, >15-fold improved detection limits versus SERS-LFA, and robust selectivity in complex serum samples—positioning this electrophoresis-assisted approach as a step toward multiplexed, sensitive point-of-care assays for HIV/HBV co-infection screening and early diagnosis.