The invention relates to the encapsulation of
luminescence-related molecules, including but not limited to,
adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenylate
kinase (AK),
alkaline phosphatase (ALP),
luminol and
luciferin /
luciferase cocktails, within liposomes. These liposomes can be employed to enhance the
luminescence detection of microorganisms and compounds in various products and samples. The liposomes containing the
luminescence-related molecules can bear a probe which has a specific sequence or structure that, in turn can be used to hybridize to, or couple with, a portion of the target
analyte. Within the same
assay, paramagnetic beads can bear a probe having a specific sequence or structure that, can hybridize to, or couple with, a second portion of the target
analyte to create a complex of
analyte bound to paramagnetic beads and liposomes. This type of
assay can be often referred to as a ‘sandwich’
assay. Once the probes hybridize to, or couple with, their targets, a complex can be formed of the paramagnetic beads, the analyte, or portion thereof, and the liposomes. This complex can then be washed to remove those components that are non-hybridized or non-coupled. Then, the paramagnetic bead-analyte-
liposome complexes can be isolated from the sample using
magnetic separation techniques and can be treated so as to release their encapsulated ATP, AK or other luminescence-related compounds. The resulting luminescence can then be determined in a chemical assay. This determination can be qualitative (i.e., an absence / presence assay) or quantitative (i.e., which can measure a specific amount of analyte present). Through the use of a cocktail of probe types, the assay can also qualitatively or quantitatively measure the presence of more than one analyte simultaneously. This type of assay can be of commercial importance in clinical and forensic applications, the
personal care, pharmaceutical, food and beverage markets, as well as in environmental sample assays.