Fabrication of a surface plasmon resonance platform for the development of an electrokintic surface plasmon resonance (EK-SPR) biosensor

Abstract

Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) is a clinical analysis performed near the patient, rather than in a remote, dedicated laboratory. POCT is typically performed by non-laboratory personnel and the results are used for clinical decision-making. Acute Coronary syndrome (ACS) is a group of conditions that considerably decreases or stops blood flow to the heart muscle, causing the heart to be damaged or stressed. Such events cause the release of biomarkers into the blood stream. Myocardial Infarction (MI), commonly called “heart attack”, is a well-known ACS that is diagnosed by measuring the change in the level of cardiac biomarkers (preferably troponin) in the blood. This dissertation presents the fabrication of a platform to be adapted as a point-of care sensor with surface plasmon resonance as the detection method. 4-aminophenylalanine is electrografted on the gold sensing surface as the linker to allow receptors immobilization on the sensing surface. Electrokinetic method is to be combined with surface plasmon resonance, to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of a cardiac protein biosensor. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is a real time, label free optical method that measures the refractive index change when the analyte binds receptors immobilized at the surface of a metal, here gold. In this report details on how electrografting of 4-aminophenylalanine on gold thin film permits the fabrication of an SPR biosensor platform that could possibly be as a troponin biosensor. An overview on the sensing surface characterization to confirm surface modification is offered as well as the sensor performance using bovine serum albumin bovine serum albumin antibodies.