5 research outputs found
Controlling the Binding Efficiency of Surface Confined Antibodies through the Design of Mixed SelfâAssembled Monolayers
Abstract A plethora of different electronic and optoelectronic devices have been developed lately, for biosensing applications (e.g., labelâfree, fast, and easier to operate) based on a detecting interface accommodating the biorecognition elements, anchored by thiolate selfâassembled monolayers (SAMs) on a gold surface. Here, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characterization of antiâp24 anchored on different SAMs is performed to investigate the effect of the SAM structure on the antibodiesâ packing efficiency and the sensorsâ analytical figures of merit. Notably, the mixed SAM deposited from a solution 10:1 of 3âmercaptopropionic acid and 11âmercaptoundecanoic acid (11MUA) is compared to that resulting from a solution 10:1 of ad hoc synthesized Nâ(2âhydroxyethyl)â3âmercaptopropanamide (NMPA)/11MUA. Despite the improvement in the antiâp24 surface coverage registered using the 11MUA/NMPA SAM, the latter produces a significant decrease in the antibodiesâ binding efficiency against human immunodeficiency virus p24 protein. To provide a molecular rationale behind the SPR data, density functional theory calculations are also undertaken. A comprehensive physical view of the main competing phenomena affecting the biorecognition events at a biofunctionalized gold detecting interface is represented here
Design of a new tracking device for on-line beam range monitor in carbon therapy
Charged particle therapy is a technique for cancer treatment that exploits hadron beams, mostly protons
and carbon ions. A critical issue is the monitoring of the beam range so to check the correct dose deposition
to the tumor and surrounding tissues. The design of a new tracking device for beam range real-time
monitoring in pencil beam carbon ion therapy is presented. The proposed device tracks secondary
charged particles produced by beam interactions in the patient tissue and exploits the correlation of
the charged particle emission profile with the spatial dose deposition and the Bragg peak position. The
detector, currently under construction, uses the information provided by 12 layers of scintillating fibers
followed by a plastic scintillator and a pixelated Lutetium Fine Silicate (LFS) crystal calorimeter. An algorithm
to account and correct for emission profile distortion due to charged secondaries absorption inside
the patient tissue is also proposed. Finally detector reconstruction efficiency for charged particle emission
profile is evaluated using a Monte Carlo simulation considering a quasi-realistic case of a nonhomogenous
phantom