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A Random-displacement Measurement by Combining a Magnetic Scale and Two Fiber Bragg Gratings
Published on: September 30, 2019
Label-free serodiagnosis on a grating coupler
Thomas Nagel1, Eva Ehrentreich-Förster, Frank F Bier
1Department of Molecular Bioanalytics & Bioelectronics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Branch Potsdam-Golm, Potsdam, Germany.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|January 20, 2009
Summary
Label-free biosensors enable specific binding molecule screening without prior analyte knowledge. A grating coupler protocol minimizes non-specific binding in complex samples like blood serum.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biosensing
Background:
- Label-free measurement techniques offer direct monitoring of binding events.
- This eliminates the need for secondary detection steps, simplifying assays.
- Applications span binding analysis, serodiagnosis, and drug discovery screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the handling of a grating coupler as a label-free transducer.
- To present a protocol for minimizing non-specific attachment in biological samples.
- To facilitate label-free analysis of undiluted blood serum.
Main Methods:
- Utilized grating coupler as a label-free transducer.
- Developed and applied a protocol to reduce non-specific binding.
- Tested the method with undiluted blood serum samples.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the feasibility of label-free screening without analyte knowledge.
- Successfully minimized non-specific attachment in complex biological fluids.
- Established a practical protocol for handling blood serum samples.
Conclusions:
- Label-free techniques are powerful tools for molecular interaction analysis.
- Minimizing non-specific binding is critical for reliable results with complex samples.
- The described grating coupler protocol provides a straightforward method for serum analysis.

