Investigation of biotin-streptavidin binding interactions using microcantilever sensors

We report the investigation of biotin-streptavidin binding interactions using microcantilever sensors. A symmetric cantilever construction is employed to minimize the effects of thermal drift and the control of surface chemistry on the backside of the cantilever is demonstrated to reduce the effects of non-specific binding interactions on the cantilever. Three structurally different biotin modified cantilever surfaces are used as a model system to study the binding interaction with streptavidin. The cantilever response to the binding of streptavidin on these biotin sensing monolayers is compared. The lowest detection limit of streptavidin using biotin-HPDP is found to be between 1 and 10 nM limited by the optical measurement setup. Surface characterization using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and high-resolution atomic force microscope (AFM) is used to benchmark the cantilever sensor response. In addition, the QCM and AFM studies reveal that the surface density of bound streptavidin on biotin modified surfaces was low, thereby implying that effects other than steric hindrance are responsible for defining cantilever response. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Surface Stress on Frequency of Microcantilever-Based Biosensors (vol 10, pg 307, 2004)

Microcantilever-based biosensors have been found increasing applications in physical, chemical, and biological fields in recent years. When biosensors are used in those fields, surface stress and mass variations due to bio-molecular binding can cause the microcantilever deform or the shift of frequency. These simple biosensors allow biologists to study surface biochemistry on a micro or nano scale and offer new opportunities in developing microscopic biomedical analysis with unique characteristics. To compare and illustrate the influence of the surface stress on the frequency and avoid unnecessary and complicated numerical solution of the resonance frequency, some dimensionless numbers are derived in this paper by making governing equations dimensionless. Meanwhile, in order to analyze the influence of the general surface stress on the frequency, a new model is put forward, and the frequency of the microcantilever is calculated by using the subspace iteration method and the Rayleigh method. The sensitivity of microcantilever is also discussed. (19 refs.)

Deformation Of Pdms Membrane And Microcantilever By A Water Droplet: Comparison Between Mooney-Rivlin And Linear Elastic Constitutive Models

In this paper, we studied the role of vertical component Of Surface tension of a water droplet on the deformation of membranes and microcantilevers (MCLs) widely used in lab-on-a-chip and micro-and nano-electromechanical system (MEMS/NEMS). Firstly, a membrane made of a rubber-like material, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), was considered. The deformation was investigated using the Mooney-Rivlin (MR) model and the linear elastic constitutive relation, respectively. By comparison between the numerical solutions with two different models, we found that the simple linear elastic model is accurate enough to describe such kind of problem, which would be quite convenient for engineering applications. Furthermore, based on small-deflection beam theory, the effect of a liquid droplet on the deflection of a MCL was also studied. The free-end deflection of the MCL was investigated by considering different cases like a cylindrical droplet, a spherical droplet centered on the MCL and a spherical droplet arbitrarily positioned on the MCL. Numerical simulations demonstrated that the deflection might not be neglected, and showed good agreement with our theoretical analyses. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Theoretical model for a periodically driven semiconductor laser subject to optical feedback from a microcantilever

We propose a theoretical model for analyzing the dynamics of a periodically driven semiconductor laser subject to optical feedback from a microcantilever. We numerically investigate the temporal evolution of the light intensity of the semiconductor laser, and we show the interspikes of the light intensity. These interspikes of light intensity are also demonstrated in our experiment. The validity of the theoretical model is verified. The observed phenomenon has a potential application for resonant sensing. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.

Ultrasensitive Detection of Infrared Photon Using Microcantilever: Theoretical Analysis

We present a new method for detecting near-infrared, mid-infrared, and far-infrared photons with an ultra-high sensitivity. The infrared photon detection was carried out by monitoring the displacement change of a vibrating microcantilever under light pressure using a laser Doppler vibrometer. Ultrathin silicon cantilevers with high sensitivity were produced using micro/nano-fabrication technology. The photon detection system was set up. The response of the microcantilever to the photon illumination is theoretically estimated, and a nanowatt resolution for the infrared photon detection is expected at room temperature with this method.

Effects of design parameters on sensitivity of microcantilever biosensors

Microcantilever biosensors produce cantilever bending due to differential surface stress between upper and lower surfaces of the cantilever. The bending is associated with concentration of ligands and adsorbed ligand-receptor intermolecular forces. Sample volume sizes in clinical diagnostic applications are usually very minute requiring a highly sensitive microcantilever for disease detection. This paper investigates a number of parameters that influence the sensitivity of microcantilever biosensors. The parameters include length, thickness, shape, and material of the cantilever beam. Biosensors of varying parameters are modeled and simulated. The results show that increasing the length of the cantilever beam enhances its sensitivity. However, increasing the thickness of the cantilever beam reduces its sensitivity. In static analysis, the shape of the cantilever beam does not notably impact upon its sensitivity. Also, using materials with lower Young’s modulus improves the sensitivity.

Surface-stress-based microcantilever aptasensor

This thesis presents the design, modelling, fabrication, and biological evaluation of a microcantilever-based aptasensor. It is the first reported work on aptasensors with aptamer immobilized on a bare SU-8 surface. Aptasensor surface funtionalisation was achieved using gas plasma treatment. Label-free detection of thrombin molecules using the aptasensor was successfully demonstrated.

A surface-stress-based microcantilever aptasensor

Biosensors based on microcantilevers convert biological recognition events into measurable mechanical displacements. They offer advantages such as small size, low sample volume, label-free detection, ease of integration, high-throughput analysis, and low development cost. The design and development of a microcantilever-based aptasensor employing SU-8 polymer as the fabrication material is presented in this paper. Aptamers are employed as bioreceptor elements because they exhibit superior specificity compared to antibodies due to their small size and physicochemical stability. To immobilise thrombin DNA aptamer on the bare SU-8 surface of the aptasensor, a combined plasma mode treatment method is implemented which modifies the surface of the aptasensor. Label-free detection of thrombin molecules using the fabricated aptasensor is successfully demonstrated. The measured deflection is one order of magnitude higher than that of a silicon nitride microcantilever biosensor. The developed aptasensor also demonstrates high specificity.

A surface-stress-based microcantilever aptasensor

Biosensors based on microcantilevers convert biological recognition events into measurable mechanical displacements. They offer advantages such as small size, low sample volume, label-free detection, ease of integration, high-throughput analysis, and low development cost. The design and development of a microcantilever-based aptasensor employing SU-8 polymer as the fabrication material is presented in this paper. Aptamers are employed as bioreceptor elements because they exhibit superior specificity compared to antibodies due to their small size and physicochemical stability. To immobilise thrombin DNA aptamer on the bare SU-8 surface of the aptasensor, a combined plasma mode treatment method is implemented which modifies the surface of the aptasensor. Label-free detection of thrombin molecules using the fabricated aptasensor is successfully demonstrated. The measured deflection is one order of magnitude higher than that of a silicon nitride microcantilever biosensor. The developed aptasensor also demonstrates high specificity.

Design and evaluation of a microcantilever aptasensor

Aptamers enhance flexibility in biosensor design. An aptasensor employs aptamers as a biological recognition element for biosensing. This paper presents design, fabrication, and evaluation of a microcantilever aptasensor. To identify and avoid potential bottlenecks in the aptasensor design, the parameters of the aptasensor are investigated through modelling and simulation. Next, thin SU-8 microcantilevers are fabricated to form the aptasensor. Characterization of the fabricated aptasensor is presented. Next, a plasma-based surface funtionalisation method is used to immobilize aptamers on the atasensor. Finally, an evaluation of the performance of the aptasensor is performed through detection of thrombin molecules. The evaluation results are presented and discussed. © 2014 IEEE.