Versatile Optical Sensing Platform For Detection Of Biological Interactions

Xingwei Wang, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Melisenda Jean McDonald, Chemistry

The project is to develop a versatile optical sensing platform for detection of chemical and biological agents. The highly specific nature of antibody-antigen binding makes antibodies an ideal part of a label-free sensing system. With immunoglobulins as detection agents, it is possible to construct antibodies that react against a wide range of targets. One can construct antibodies against bacterial proteins too; antibodies that react against small chemical molecules. CHN nanomanufacturing wafers will be used as antibody binding platform. When illuminated by light, the optical thickness of the binding surface can be measured by demodulation of the spectrum of a FP cavity fabricated on the wafer.