Surface Chemistries for high sensitivity, low burden Waveguide

该研究的重点是开发固定化和表面改性化学品，以成功地将生物识别元件附着到波导表面，从而优化其功能和稳定性，波导增强拉曼光谱（WERS）技术是一种新型的拉曼光谱技术，它能有效地消除分析介质中存在的物质的非特异性结合所产生的干扰。使用精心设计的平面波导几何形状，其中Ta2O5膜的精心控制的厚度是沉积在合适的基板上。选择Ta_2O_5是因为它具有高的光学指数。除了具有高折射率外，Ta2O5还具有生物相容性，在溶液中稳定，并且可以使用氯硅烷化学或烷基磷酸盐进行改性。要解决的主要挑战之一将是在波导结构上应用和扩展这些表面改性化学物质，并将其应用于抗体的固定。一旦实现了固定化，第二个挑战是将这些表面应用于真实的样品中的生物传感。这将需要优化表面化学和设计合适的检测方案。

The focus of the studentship is to develop the immobilisation andsurface modification chemistries for successful attachment of biologicalrecognition elements to waveguide surfaces so that their functionalityand stability are optimised, and the interferences from non-specificbinding of species also present in the analyte medium are minimised.The waveguide enhanced Raman spectroscopy (WERS) uses a carefullydesigned planar waveguide geometry in which a Ta2O5 film of carefullycontrolled thickness is deposited on a suitable substrate. Ta2O5 is chosenbecause of its high optical index. In addition to having a high index,Ta2O5 is also biocompatible , stable in solution, and can be modifiedusing chlorosilane chemistry or alkyl phosphates . One of the majorchallenges to be addressed will be to apply, and extend these, surfacemodification chemistries on the waveguide structures and apply theseto the immobilization of the antibodies. Once the immobilization hasbeen achieved the second challenge is to apply these surfaces forbiosensing in real samples. This will require the optimisation of thesurface chemistry and the design of suitable assay protocols.