Multiplex Analysis on a Single Porous Hydrogel Bead with Encoded SERS Nanotags

Bead-based assays have drawn more and more attention in biomedical fields. Herein, we proposed a novel approach to achieve multiplex analysis on a single porous hydrogel bead (PHB) with Raman dyes (RDs) encoded core shell surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags. Because of the amplified signal of RDs by core shell metal structure of the nanotag and the high surface area to volume ratio (SVR) of the PHB, the sensitivity and linear dynamic range (LDR) of the as-proposed multiplex analysis method are significantly improved. We anticipate this approach to be widely used in the multiplex assays and biosensors.