Antibody immobilization within glass microstructured fibers: a route to sensitive and selective biosensors

Glass microstructured optical fibers have been rendered biologically active for the first time via the immobilization of antibodies within the holes in the fiber cross-section. This has been done by introducing coating layers to the internal surfaces of soft glass fibers. The detection of proteins that bind to these antibodies has been demonstrated experimentally within this system via the use of fluorescence labeling. The approach combines the sensitivity resulting from the long interaction lengths of filled fibers with the selectivity provided by the use of antibodies.