Flatbed Scanner for Fluorescence, Phosphorescence and Time-Resolved Measurement on Surfaces for Biological Tests such as Microarrays and Gels

该奖项支持开发一种新型的、时间分辨的荧光（发光）平板扫描仪，用于在电泳凝胶分离或与蛋白质微阵列结合后对单个蛋白质进行高灵敏度检测。这种凝胶和微阵列是现代生物学研究的重要分析工具，但由于需要使用放射性标记来检测少量蛋白质而受到限制。虽然染色或非放射性标记可用于较大数量的蛋白质，但荧光标记的使用可能受到背景荧光的阻碍。使用镧系配合物作为标记剂可以避免这个问题。镧系化合物的长寿命荧光或发光允许在短暂的背景荧光衰变后进行测量。这种测量需要时间分辨探测器。该仪器将通过修改商用平板光学扫描仪制成，预计价格低廉，使各种领域的研究人员和教育工作者都能接触到它。目前，还没有类似的具有时间分辨能力的仪器，这阻碍了科学家们充分利用镧系化合物的发光特性。本科生和研究生都将参与扫描仪的开发，并在此过程中接触到高级蛋白质组学问题。该仪器的价格适中，检测灵敏，这将使该仪器和相应的发光镧系试剂能够广泛地传播给生命科学家。

This award supports development of a novel, time-resolved fluorescence (luminescence) flatbed scanner designed for highly sensitive detection of individual proteins following separation on electrophoresis gels or after binding to protein microarrays. Such gels and microarrays are important analytical tools for modern biological research, but are limited by the need to use radioactive labeling for detection of small amounts of protein. While staining or non-radioactive labeling can be used for proteins in larger amounts, the use of fluorescent labels can be hampered by background fluorescence. This problem can be avoided by use of lanthanide complexes as the labeling agent. The long-lived fluorescence, or luminescence, of lanthanide complexes permits measurements to be made after the background fluorescence, which is short-lived, has decayed. A time-resolved detector is required for such measurements. The proposed instrument, which will be built by modifying a commercial flatbed optical scanner, is expected to be inexpensive, putting it within reach of researchers and educators in a variety of areas. Currently, there are no similar instruments available with time-resolved capability, preventing scientists from taking full advantage of the luminescence properties of lanthanide complexes. Both undergraduate and graduate students will participate in the development of the scanner and, in the process, be exposed to advanced proteomics problems. The combination of a moderate price with the sensitive detection of the proposed instrument will permit the spread of this instrument, and the corresponding luminescent lanthanide reagents, to a broad range of life scientists.