An Optofluidic Young Interferometer for Electrokinetic Transport-Coupled Biosensing.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optics
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Label-free optical biosensors offer advantages over traditional assays like ELISA.
• Optofluidic Young interferometers (YI) provide real-time spatial refractive index information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of the YI for studying biomolecular interactions.
• To assess the YI's performance with immobilized recognition elements in agarose gel.
• To evaluate the YI's potential for reduced false positives/negatives and faster detection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel optofluidic Young interferometer (YI).
• Immobilized recognition elements in specific regions of agarose gel within the sensor channel.
• Studied biomolecular interactions, including streptavidin binding and interference from bovine serum albumin.
• Integrated electrokinetic transport with the YI to accelerate the biosensing process.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the YI's suitability for label-free biosensing of streptavidin.
• Successfully detected streptavidin in the presence of a bovine serum albumin interferent.
• Showcased the YI's ability to provide real-time spatial information on biomolecular interactions.
• Achieved reduced biosensing times by coupling the YI with electrokinetic transport.

Conclusions:

• The optofluidic Young interferometer is a powerful tool for label-free biosensing.
• The YI enables precise, real-time monitoring of biomolecular interactions with high specificity.
• Integration with electrokinetic transport significantly enhances the speed of biosensing assays.