CONTRIBUTION OF SURFACE PROPERTIES TO ANTIBODY IMMOBILIZATION

THE IMMOBILIZATION OF PROTEINS ON INSOLUBLE SURFACES IS IMPORTANT IN DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTATION AND IN VIVO MONITOR-ING. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SURFACE ANTIBODY INTERACTIONS SHOULD RESULT IN MORE EFFICIENT APPROACHES TO IMMUNO- DIAGNOSTICS. THIS WOULD BE ESPECIALLY USEFUL IN THE FIELD OF TUMOR MARKER DETECTION WHERE PANELS OF ANTIGENS MAY BE NEEDED FOR PROPER DIAGNOSIS. THIS RESEARCH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLE IMMUNOLOGICAL TEST WITH AN ELECTRONIC ENDPOINT. THE RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE THE USE OF ANTIGEN OR ANTIBODY-LABELED COLLOIDAL GOLD PARTICLES TO GENERATE AN ELECTRONIC ENDPOINT. A DIAGNOSTIC ELEMENT WILL BE REFINED SO THAT THE ANTIBODY-ANTIGEN REACTION CAUSES THE COMPLETION OF AN OPEN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. THIS MODEL NECESSITATES AN ELECTRICALLY INSULATING BASE SURFACE FOR PROTEIN ADHESION. A PAIR OF CONDUCTORS IS PLACED ON THE DEFINING A CHANNEL BETWEEN THEM. THE ANTIGEN IS PLACED IN THE CHANNEL. THE GOLD-TAGGED ANTIBODY WILL BOND TO THE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN, FORMING A CONDUCTIVE BRIDGE ACROSS THE CHANNEL FOR A POSITIVE REACTION. THIS NEW TYPE OF DEVICE COULD REPLACE THE CURRENTLY USED ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY, IMMUNO-FLUORESCENCE, AND RADIOIMMUNOASSAY TECHNIQUES, WHICH ARE RELIABLE BUT SLOW, TEDIOUS, AND RESTRICTED TO SINGLE TESTS PER SAMPLE. THE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF A MULTIPLE TEST ENCOMPASS HUMAN DIAGNOSTICS SUCH AS CANCER AND ALLERGY AS WELL AS VETERINARY AND FORENSIC DIAGNOSTICS.