Elemental analysis of tagged biologically active materials

A method for the detection and measurement of an element in a sample, where the measured element is a tag on an aptamer that binds with an analyte, comprising:

• a) combining the aptamer with the analyte;
• b) introducing a transition element to the combined aptamer and analyte, wherein the transition element binds with the aptamer;
• and
• c) detecting and measuring the transition element by an atomic or optical spectrometer having a source of ions or atomic ions.

A method for the detection and measurement of an element in a sample, where the measured element is a tag on a competition analyte, comprising:

• a) combining a tagged competition analyte with at least one of an analyte and analyte complex, where the tagged competition analyte and at least one of the analyte and anlayte complex are in competition for a binding site;
• b) separating bound tagged competition analyte from the unbound tagged competition analyte;
• and
• c) detecting and measuring the transition element on the bound competition analyte by an atomic mass or optical spectrometer having a source of atoms or atomic ions, wherein the detection and measurement of the transition element is related to the detection and measurement of at least one of the analyte and analyte complex.

A method for the detection and measurement of a positively charged transition element in a sample, where the measured transition element is a specific tag which is unnaturally bound on a biologically active affinity material, wherein the biologically active affinity material binds with an analyte or analyte complex, comprising:

• i) combining the tagged biologically active affinity material with the analyte or analyte complex, where the tagged biologically active affinity material binds with the analyte or analyte complex;
• ii) separating the analyte or analyte complex which is bound to the tagged biologically active affinity material from unbound tagged material;
• and
• iii) detecting and measuring the positively charged transition element by one of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer wherein said transition element is any element having an atomic number of 21-29, 39-47, 57-79 or 89.

A method for the multiplexed detection and measurement of positively charged transition elements in a sample, wherein the measured transition elements are specific tags, each of which is unnaturally bound on a biologically active affinity material, and wherein the biologically active affinity material binds with an analyte or analyte complex, comprising:

• i) providing a plurality of biologically active affinity materials, wherein each biologically active affinity material of said plurality is tagged with at least one positively charged transition element in a manner that permits a given biologically active affinity material to be distinguished from other biologically active affinity materials of said plurality by an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer;
• ii) combining said materials with a plurality of analytes and/or analyte complexes, wherein said materials bind with the analyte or analyte complexes in a manner that permits a given analyte or analyte complex to be distinguished from other analytes or analyte complexes by an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer;
• iii) separating the analytes and/or analyte complexes that are bound to the tagged biologically active affinity materials from unbound tagged materials, and then iv) detecting and measuring, either simultaneously or sequentially, the positively charged transition elements with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer or an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer, wherein said transition element is any element having an atomic number of 21-29, 39-47, 57-79 or 89.