Surface Plasmon Resonance: An Introduction to a Surface Spectroscopy Technique

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Education

Background:

• Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a key optical biosensing technology for real-time, label-free analysis in life sciences.
• High costs of commercial SPR devices limit its use in undergraduate teaching laboratories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an affordable, homemade SPR device for educational purposes.
• To integrate SPR with electrochemistry for enhanced experimental capabilities.
• To provide hands-on experience with modern biosensing instrumentation for students.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a cost-effective SPR device with visible components.
• Development of laboratory experiments focusing on refractive index sensing and electrochemistry integration.
• Investigation of antibody-antigen binding kinetics using the SPR setup.

Main Results:

• Successful creation of a functional and affordable SPR biosensor.
• Demonstration of SPR principles through refractive index measurements.
• Successful execution of coupled SPR-electrochemistry experiments and binding studies.

Conclusions:

• The homemade SPR device is suitable for undergraduate chemical education.
• This accessible SPR system enhances understanding of molecular interactions at interfaces.
• The project demonstrates the feasibility of advanced biosensing education with cost-effective instrumentation.