Absorption into fluorescence. A method to sense biologically relevant gas molecules.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Accurate monitoring of atmospheric gases is crucial for understanding climate change.
• Existing sensing technologies may lack the sensitivity or selectivity required for complex environmental samples.
• Biomolecules offer unique recognition capabilities for targeted analyte detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative optical sensing methodology utilizing biomolecules as molecular gating nano-systems.
• To demonstrate the detection of climate-relevant analytes, specifically nitric oxide (NO) and oxygen (O2).
• To establish a versatile platform for a new generation of analytical assays.

Main Methods:

• Employing a fluorescent probe as a transducer and a biomolecule (sensor) as a recognition element.
• Modulating the excitation intensity of the fluorescent probe based on analyte binding to the sensor.
• Ensuring spectral overlap between the sensor's absorption bands and the fluorescent probe's excitation bands.
• Utilizing cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) for NO detection and myoglobin (Mb) for O2 detection as proof-of-principle.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful detection of nitric oxide (NO) using CcP as the sensor.
• Achieved successful detection of oxygen (O2) using Mb as the sensor.
• Validated the principle of analyte-induced modulation of fluorescence intensity through spectral overlap.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical sensing methodology offers high sensitivity and selectivity by combining fluorescence detection with protein-based sensors.
• This biomolecule-based approach provides a powerful foundation for developing next-generation analytical assays.
• The technology is adaptable for the detection of a wide range of target analytes beyond NO and O2.