title: Real-time microbe detection based on director distortions around growing immune complexes in lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals.
abstract: We describe director distortions in the nematic liquid crystal (LC) caused by a spherical particle with tangential surface orientation of the director and show that light transmittance through the distorted region is a steep function of the particle's size. The effect allows us to propose a real-time microbial sensor based on a nontoxic lyotropic chromonic LC (LCLC) that detects and amplifies the presence of immune complexes. A cassette is filled with LCLC, antibody, and antigen-bearing particles. Small and isolated particles cause no macroscopic distortions of the LCLC. Upon antibody-antigen binding, the growing immune complexes distort the director and cause detectable optical transmittance between crossed polarizers.
authors.affiliation: Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Shiyanovskii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Smalyukh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Niehaus
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Doane
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Woolverton
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Lavrentovich
mesh_terms: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003199:Computer Systems; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex