Proteins and Nanomaterials

The adsorption of proteins to surfaces is a central concern for the rational design and application of materials. The rate and strengths of the initial physical interactions between proteins and surfaces dictate (to a large degree) the final conformation, stability, and activity of such proteins. This issue, that plays a major role in determining the biocompatibility of materials, can also dictate the analytical performance of almost every analytical device that uses a biorecognition element (antigen, antibody, enzyme, nucleic acids, or even whole cells). Here are described several of the project that we have recently published in this area.

• Adsorption in biosensing: As the first step in the immobilization process, adsorption affects most immobilization routes and is critical to maximize the overall activity of any biosensor.
• External fields: The application of external electric fields can also be used to control the accumulation of the protein molecules at interfaces, opening the door to control the efficiency, selectivity, and kinetics of the adsorption process
• VASE: In order to monitor the adsorption kinetics, our lab uses variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, a technique that can help us detect protein layers with <0.1 nm sensitivity