Analysis of recombinant protein expression using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biotechnology
• Optical Sensing

Background:

• Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) biosensors utilizing noble metal nanostructures are valuable for label-free detection.
• Conventional fabrication methods enable the creation of LSPR biosensors on glass substrates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize LSPR-based optical biosensors using gold nano-islands.
• To evaluate the sensing capabilities of the gold nano-island sensor for protein interactions and expression analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of gold nano-islands on glass substrates via heat treatment of thin gold films deposited at a low rate.
• Morphological characterization using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in non-contact mode.
• Sensing capacity evaluation using streptavidin-biotin interaction and detection of recombinant glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-tagged human interleukin-6 (hIL6).

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated gold nano-island structures on glass substrates.
• Demonstrated the sensor's capacity for label-free detection of protein-protein interactions (streptavidin-biotin).
• Successfully detected GST-tagged hIL6, indicating potential for protein expression analysis.

Conclusions:

• LSPR biosensors fabricated with gold nano-islands are effective for label-free detection of biomolecular interactions.
• These sensors present a viable alternative to traditional methods like SDS-PAGE for rapid protein expression analysis.