CAREER: Development of a Sensitive, 'Universal' Surface Plasmon Resonance Detector for Protein Separations on Microfluidic Devices

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

Professor Christopher T. Culbertson of Kansas State University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry CAREER Program in the Chemistry Division to develop microfuidic separation and analysis devices with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection scheme for the separation and sensitive detection of proteins and other molecules that lack chromophores. The novelty of this approach is in the combination of special surface modification chemistry for fast analyte adsorption/desorption kinetics, with a micro-sized detection scheme that allows for sample preconcentration. The research is multidisciplinary in nature, covering analytical, polymer, and biological chemistry. High school and junior college teachers from Kansas will be involved in research and will be trained in effective public speaking and communication skills. Microfluidic devices have the potential to revolutionalize chemical analysis, but the technology is hampered by the lack of suitable detectors. This work focuses on an important problem in analytical chemistry, namely the need for a sensitive, inexpensive, and universal detector for microfluidic systems. The development of such a detector allows for complete chemical analysis on a single microchip. The benefits include automation, speed, reduced consumption of analytes and reagents, and reduced waste. The development of commercial microfluidics technology that provides rapid biodiagnostic information has a high potential societal impact.