Photonic crystal technology for biomolecular assay

描述（由申请人提供）： 一种基于光子晶体（PC）的新技术将被开发并用于构建一种用于研究生物分子亲和力和结合动力学的极其灵敏的仪器。我们以前已经证明，一个狭窄的midgap传输峰可以形成和局部场增强可以实现时，缺陷层夹在两个PC。在此R21应用中，我们将首次探索在全内反射几何结构中仅使用一个PC的可能性，以便缺陷层可以与分析物分子结合。当缺陷层掺杂有吸收材料时，由于缺陷层中的增强的吸收，来自该PC结构的反射光的光谱将具有非常窄但显著的下降。浸渍波长将非常敏感地取决于结合到缺陷层的生物分子的厚度和/或折射率。这将使生物分子的结合和该过程的动力学的高灵敏度测量成为可能。 我们将专注于开发这种新的方法，并构建一个高灵敏度的PC为基础的仪器。首先，我们将优化我们的设计的PC结构的基础上全面的理论建模和数值模拟，以实现最大的检测灵敏度。然后，我们将构建一个工作系统使用优化的PC结构作为一个关键组成部分。我们还将探索几种可能的检测模式，并开发相关软件进行数据分析和解释。最后，该仪器将使用几个生物模型系统进行测试，以证明其适用性。这种新的仪器将拥有许多优势，目前广泛使用的表面等离子体共振（SPR）为基础的仪器和其他波导为基础的仪器。它将能够以定量方式且无需标记地实时研究许多不同的动态分子相互作用，从而允许亲和力测量、特定分析物的浓度测定和动力学分析。真实的。我们将直接比较我们的技术的灵敏度，商业上可用的最先进的SPR为基础的系统。 评论

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A novel technique based on photonic crystals (PC) will be developed and used to construct an extremely sensitive instrument for the study of biomolecular affinities and binding kinetics. We have previously demonstrated that a narrow midgap transmission peak can be formed and a local field enhancement can be achieved when a defect layer is sandwiched between two PCs. In this R21 application, we will explore for the first time the possibility to use only one PC in a total internal reflection geometry, so that the defect layer becomes accessible for binding of analyte molecules. When the defect layer is doped with absorbing materials, the spectrum of the reflected light from this PC structure will have a very narrow but prominent dip due to the enhanced absorption in the defect layer. The dip wavelength will depend very sensitively on the thickness and/or refractive index of the biomolecules bound to the defect layer. This will enable highly sensitive measurements of the binding of biomolecules and the kinetics of this process. We will focus on developing this novel methodology and constructing a highly sensitive PC based instrument. First, we will optimize our design of the PC structure based on comprehensive theoretical modeling and numerical simulations in order to achieve the maximum detection sensitivity. Then we will construct a working system using the optimized PC structure as a critical component. We will also explore several possible detection modes and develop related software for data analysis and interpretation. Finally, this instrument will be tested using several biological model systems in order to demonstrate its applicability. This new instrument will possess a number of advantages over the currently widely used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based instrument and other waveguide based instruments. It will have the capability to study, in a quantitative manner and without requirement of labeling, many different dynamic molecular interactions in real time, allowing affinity measurements, concentration determinations of specific analytes, and kinetic analyses. We will compare directly the sensitivity of our technique to that of commercially available state-of- the-art SPR-based systems. CRITIQIUE