Chemical Sensors Generated on Wafer-Scale Epitaxial Graphene for Application to Front-Line Drug Detection.

Generation of large areas of graphene possessing high quality and uniformity will be a critical factor if graphene-based devices/sensors are to be commercialized. In this work, epitaxial graphene on a 2" SiC wafer was used to fabricate sensors for the detection of illicit drugs (amphetamine or cocaine). The main target application is on-site forensic detection where there is a high demand for reliable and cost-efficient tools.

Study of the interaction of trastuzumab and SKOV3 epithelial cancer cells using a quartz crystal microbalance sensor.

Analytical methods founded upon whole cell-based assays are of importance in early stage drug development and in fundamental studies of biomolecular recognition. Here we have studied the binding of the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) on human ovary adenocarcinoma epithelial cancer cells (SKOV3) using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technology. An optimized procedure for immobilizing the cells on the chip surface was established with respect to fixation procedure and seeding density.

A phage display screening derived Peptide with affinity for the adeninyl moiety.

Phage display screening of a surface-immobilized adenine derivative led to the identification of a heptameric peptide with selectivity for adenine as demonstrated through quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) studies. The peptide demonstrated a concentration dependent affinity for an adeninyl moiety decorated surface (K D of 968 ± 53.3 μM), which highlights the power of piezoelectric sensing in the study of weak interactions.

Biotin selective polymer nano-films.

Background: The interaction between biotin and avidin is utilized in a wide range of assay and diagnostic systems. A robust material capable of binding biotin should offer scope in the development of reusable assay materials and biosensor recognition elements.

Results: Biotin-selective thin (3-5 nm) films have been fabricated on hexadecanethiol self assembled monolayer (SAM) coated Au/quartz resonators.