title: Micromechanical mass sensors for biomolecular detection in a physiological environment.
abstract: Micromechanical cantilever arrays are used to measure time-resolved adsorption of tiny masses based on protein-ligand interactions. Here, streptavidin-biotin interactions are investigated in a physiological environment. A measurement method is introduced using higher flexural modes of a silicon cantilever in order to enhance the sensitivity of mass detection. Modeling the cantilever vibration in liquid allows the measurement of absolute mass changes. We show time-resolved mass adsorption of final 7+/-0.7 ng biotinylated latex beads. The sensitivity obtained is about 2.5 pg/Hz measuring at a center frequency of 750 kHz.
authors.affiliation: National Center of Competence for Research in Nanoscience, Institute of Physics, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barwich
authors.forename: Murali Krishna
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ghatkesar
authors.forename: Adriaan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Bredekamp
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hegner
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000032:analysis*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008970:Molecular Weight; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers