Recognition of proteins by crystallization patterns in an array of reporter solution microdroplets.
A new technique is described for specific recognition of protein analytes by observing protein-induced changes in the drying/crystallization patterns (DCP) of an array of microdroplets containing solutions of different reporter substances. Recognition is based on a difference in interaction of the protein analyte crystalline elements (planes, edges, defects, etc.) in the growing reporter crystals. Using a set of natural L-amino acids as reporters and denoting the amino acid solutions displaying substantial protein-induced changes in the DCP as "1" and those that show no or small changes as "0", a digital binary code was determined for several proteins at multiple concentrations. It was demonstrated that globular proteins can be reliably identified using this code as a "signature" when only 2-100 ng of protein was added to amino acid microdroplets.
Morozov
Victor N
VN
National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia 20110, USA. vmorozov@gmu.edu
Vsevolodov
Nikolai N
NN
Elliott
Adam
A
Bailey
Charles
C
D000336:Aerosols / Q000737:chemistry*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D003460:Crystallization; D005815:Genetic Code; D010316:Particle Size; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
D000336:Aerosols; D000596:Amino Acids; D011506:Proteins