CONJUGATED POLYMER BASED ULTRASENSITIVE BIOSENSORS

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the proposed research is to develop more sensitive devices for detecting and measuring amounts of biological molecules allows doctors to diagnose many diseases. Early stages of cancer are hard to detect and quantify. Recently, many distinguishing features of cancer cells have been discovered. The distinguishing features, called markers, are often found in very low quantities within an organism; therefore, devices that are sensitive enough to detect these markers must be developed. The proposed research begins with a simple model (streptavidin-biotin) to demonstrate the ability of an electrode-bound conjugated polymer with attached ligands to respond in a measurable way to a protein binding. The next stage of the research will employ a protein-carbohydrate interaction to further demonstrate the sensitivity and flexibility of the proposed system. The final goal is to synthesize a conjugate polymer that is appended with carbohydrate and is water soluble to highlight the potential these sensors have for tracking protein movement within living cells. This research will eventually lead to ultra-sensitive devices that can measure many different kinds of biological markers, including cancer markers.