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荧光（发光）平板扫描仪，用于在电泳凝胶分离后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以用于大量的蛋白质，但荧光标记的使用可能受到背景荧光的阻碍。 这个问题可以通过使用镧系元素络合物作为标记剂来避免。 镧系元素络合物的长寿命荧光或发光允许在短寿命的背景荧光衰减之后进行测量。 这种测量需要时间分辨探测器。 拟议中的仪器将通过修改商业平板光学扫描仪来建造，预计价格低廉，使其在各个领域的研究人员和教育工作者都能接触到。 目前，还没有类似的具有时间分辨能力的仪器，这阻碍了科学家充分利用镧系元素络合物的发光特性。 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先进的蛋白质组学问题。 适中的价格与所提出的仪器的灵敏检测的组合将允许该仪器和相应的发光镧系元素试剂向广泛的生命科学家传播。

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.