Biological detection by means of mass reduction in a suspended microchannel resonator
Author(s)
Levy-Tzedek, Shelly
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Biological Engineering Division.
Advisor
Scott R. Manalis.
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Label-free detection is the detection of biomolecules and their interactions, without the use of a molecule external to the interaction, used as a reporter to indicate presence and/or location. The suspended microchannel resonator offers the opportunity to perform such label-free measurements. The goal of this work is to open new avenues of possible applications for the suspended channel. I introduce the concept of detecting mass subtraction as a new approach, rather than the conventional detection of mass addition. In a model implementation scenario of this approach, a mass-intensifying tag bound to a small ligand molecule will be equilibrated with surface-immobilized receptors, and later displaced by an identical, but label-free, ligand molecule. This approach offers opportunities to extend the sensitivity range of the device, as well as introduces new functionality for it. It enables researchers to follow, label-free, real-time enzymatic reactions, relative affinities of different ligands to a receptor, and presence of small molecules in a solution.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biological Engineering Division, 2004. Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-37).
Date issued
2004Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological EngineeringPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Biological Engineering Division.