SPR biosensor for BSA protein detection

Abstract

For the last decades Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensors have been revolutionizing the world of optical biosensing techniques making great impact in the fields of drug discovery, environmental monitoring, food safety, and medical diagnostics. In this project a grating coupled SPR biosensor is analyzed by detecting a model protein, Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The main goal is to assess the sensing capability, for that, three experimental approaches are followed. First, a characterization of the biosensor’s surface is performed, and the surface is visualized through images with a Surface electron microscope (SEM), which uses electrons to generate images at the nanoscale (10-9 m). The second block, consist of performing several experiments to detect the model protein, this will also allow to gain knowledge on the use of SPR for protein detection. The last block is to repeat the previous experiments but this time altering the surface of the biosensor to enhance a more specific binding of the protein to the surface. Changing the surface properties is widely used in biosensing and it is called functionalizing. To ensure that this functionalization is done correctly Fluorescence Microscopy, which helps to distinguish different structures on a sample, is used.