title: Thin gold film-assisted fluorescence spectroscopy for biomolecule sensing.
abstract: We present a configuration for fluorescence spectroscopy that exploits the optical properties of semitransparent gold films and widely available instrumentation. This method enables monitoring of biomolecule interactions with small molecules tethered on substrates in multicomponent environments. The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) was covalently attached to self-assembled monolayers on thin gold films at low density to facilitate antibody recognition. Protein-binding studies were performed in a fluorescently labeled immunoassay format. We find that the use of this method enables evaluation of nonspecific binding and relative quantification of specific binding between competing binding partners. This fluorescence spectroscopy technique has the potential to assess biosensor or medical device responses in complex biological matrices.
authors.affiliation: California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-7227, USA.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaish
authors.forename: Wei-Ssu
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Mitchell J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hinds
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry*; D001665:Binding Sites; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010316:Particle Size; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012701:Serotonin; D006046:Gold