Intensity interrogation near cutoff resonance for label-free cellular profiling

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Label-free cellular assays are crucial for drug discovery and biological research.
• Existing readout methods can be complex and require large instrumentation.
• Resonance waveguide grating (RWG) sensors offer label-free detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an intensity-based readout method for label-free cellular assays.
• To create a compact reader device with a microtiter plate footprint.
• To enable unambiguous resonance intensity measurements in RWG sensors.

Main Methods:

• Proposed applying resonances near the substrate cutoff wavelength for unambiguous intensity measurements in RWG sensors.
• Developed a reader device with a microtiter plate footprint.
• Validated the method using bulk refractive index, surface bilayer, and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) experiments.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated an intensity-based readout for label-free cellular assays.
• Realized a compact reader device suitable for integration.
• Achieved unambiguous resonance intensity measurements in RWG sensors.
• Validated the method across various experimental conditions.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables efficient and label-free cellular analysis.
• The compact reader device facilitates integration into existing laboratory workflows.
• This technology opens new avenues for high-throughput screening and cellular studies.