A new optical platform for biosensing based on fluorescence anisotropy

Area of Science:

• Biophotonics
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Development of sensitive and specific biosensors is crucial for disease diagnosis and monitoring.
• Optical biochips offer advantages in miniaturization and high-throughput analysis.
• Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a suitable material for microfluidic devices due to its optical properties and processability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a novel fluorescence-based optical platform for interrogating an optical biochip.
• To investigate the potential of this optical chip as a biosensor for detecting specific biomolecular interactions.
• To optimize surface chemistry for efficient biomolecule immobilization on the PMMA surface.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a PMMA-based optical biochip with four microchannels.
• Immobilization of mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) onto the PMMA surface using various chemical treatments.
• Detection of Cy5-labelled anti-mouse IgG interaction via fluorescence measurements.
• Optimization of PMMA surface functionalization using poly(L-lactic acid), Eudragit L100, and NaOH.

Main Results:

• A functional optical biochip platform was successfully developed using PMMA microchannels.
• Eudragit L100 treatment proved most effective for covalent immobilization of mouse IgG.
• The biosensor achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.05 µg/mL and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.2 µg/mL for IgG/anti-IgG interaction.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorescence-based optical biochip platform demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for biosensing applications.
• Optimized surface chemistry is critical for efficient biomolecule immobilization and reliable biosensor performance.
• This PMMA-based optical biochip holds promise for various diagnostic and analytical applications requiring sensitive biomolecule detection.