Over the course of the PFASter project, significant progress was made in developing aptamer-based detection strategies for PFAS, despite the challenges posed by this class of small-molecule targets. These strategies revealed consistent and unexpected behavior: unmodified ssDNA aptamers displayed interactions with PFAS compounds that were often non-sequence-specific, suggesting that electrostatic or hydrophobic forces may drive binding rather than canonical aptamer-target affinity. While development of an LFA prototype was achieved and multiple technical obstacles were overcome, such as nanoparticle aggregation, test line clogging, and irreproducible signal generation, the capture-probes’ (aptamers) weak target-induced responses ultimately limited the success of the platform in its current form.
While the PFASter project did not yield a commercially deployable detection platform, it resulted in substantial knowledge generation and methodological advancements. These outcomes provide a valuable foundation for future development and broader application of aptamer-based technologies in environmental monitoring.