AA	L-ascorbic acid
Ab	Antibody
AD	Dehydroascorbic acid
ALCAM	activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule
APTMS	(3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane
AR	aspect ratio
Asc.-	radical ascorbate
Asc-	L-ascorbate
ATP	Adenosine triphosphate
AuNR	Gold nanorod
AuNR@SiO2	silica coated gold nanorod
BDAC	Benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride
CMC	critical micellar concentration
CRP	C-reactive protein
CTAB	cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
CTAC	cetyltrimethylammonium chloride
ctDNA	circulating tumor DNA
cTnI	cardiac troponin I
DA	dehydroascorbic acid
DDLS	depolarised dynamic light scattering
DDT	dodecanethiol
DLS	dynamic light scattering
DNA	Deoxyribonucleic acid
DR	detection range
DTT	Dithiothreitol
EDC	N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide
FoM	figure of merit
FWHM	full width at half maximum
GBP-SpA	gold-binding polypeptide Staphylococcal Protein A
HBsAg	Hepatitis B surface antigen
hIgG	human Immunoglobulin G
ICP-MS	inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy
ICP-OES	inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry
IGEPAL	octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol
IgG	Immunoglibulin G
KRAS	Kirsten RAt Sarcoma virus
LbL	layer-by-layer
LC-SPDP	N-Succinimidyl-6-(3’-(2-PyridylDithio)-Propionamido)-hexanoate
l-LSPR	longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance
LoD	Limit of detection
LSPR	localized surface plasmon resonance
MCF-7	Michigan Cancer Foundation-7
MC-LR-OVA	microcystin-LR ovalbumin
MHA	6-Mercaptohexanoic acid
MHDA	16-Mercaptohexadecanoic acid
MNP	magnetic nanoparticle
mPEG-SH	(O-[2-(3-mercaptopropionylamino)ethyl] O’-methylpolyethylene glycol
MPTMS	(3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane
NaOL	Sodium oleate
NGAL	Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin
NHS	N-Hydroxysuccinimide
NP	Nanoparticle
OTA	Ochratoxin A
PAH	polyallylamine chloride
PEI	Polyethylenimine
PNA	peptide nucleic acid
PSS	polystyrene sulfonate
PVP	Polyvinyl pyrrolidone
PZC	point of zero charge
RI	Refractive index
RNA	Ribonucleic acid
SAM	Self-Assembled Monolayer
SAV	Streptavidin
SAXS	small angle X-ray scattering
scFv	Single-Chain Fragment Variable
SDS	Sodium dodecyl sulfate
SERS	Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
SHE	Standard hydrogen electrode
SPR	Surface Plasmon resonance
ssDNA	single-stranded DNA
TAMRA	5-Carboxytetramethylrhodamine
TEA	triethylamine
TEM	Transmission Electron Microscopy
TEOS	Tetraethyl orthosilicate
t-LSPR	transverse localized surface plasmon resonance
UTSC	ultra-thin silica shell
XANES	X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy