1 research outputs found
Direct detection of small molecules using a nano-molecular imprinted polymer receptor and a quartz crystal resonator driven at a fixed frequency and amplitude
Small
molecule detection is of wide interest in clinical and industrial applications.
However, its accessibility is still limited as miniaturisation and system integration
is challenged in reliability, costs and complexity. Here we combined a 14.3 MHz
quartz crystal resonator (QCR), actuated and analysed using a fixed frequency
drive (FFD) method, with a nanomolecular imprinted polymer for label-free, realtime
detection of N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (199 Da), a gram-negative
bacterial infection biomarker. The lowest concentration detected (1 µM) without
any optimisation was comparable with that of a BIAcore SPR system, an expensive
laboratory gold standard, with significant enhancement in sensitivity and specificity
beyond the state-of-the-art QCR. The analytical formula-based FFD method can
potentially allow a multiplexed “QCR-on-chip” technology, bringing a paradigm
shift in speed, accessibility and affordability of small molecule detection.</p