University of California

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Justin J Skaife

Nicholas Lawrence Abbott

Vinay K Gupta

Timothy B Dubrovsky

Rahul Shah

Mark D Edmundson

Scott J Zero

Paul Gassler

Interactions between molecules that are components of self-assembled monolayers and other molecules can be amplified and transduced into an optical signal through the use of a mesogenic layer. The invention provides for a method for detecting an analyte, comprising contacting with said analyte a recognition moiety for said analyte, wherein said contacting causes at least a portion of a plurality of mesogens proximate to said recognition moiety to detectably switch from a first orientation to a second orientation upon contacting said analyte with said recognition moiety; and detecting said second orientation of said at least a portion of said plurality of mesogens, whereby said analyte is detected.

Optical amplification of molecular interactions using liquid crystals

Detection apparatus for use in the detection of the presence of a selected pathogen in a sample are disclosed. Such apparatus include: a substrate with a detection region on a surface thereof, the detection region having microstructures including grooves formed therein that will align liquid crystal material in contact therewith, the width and depth of the grooves being in the range of 10 &#x3bc;m or less; a blocking layer on the surface of the detection region of the substrate that does not disrupt the alignment of liquid crystal material in contact therewith, the blocking layer blocking nonspecific adsorption of pathogens to the surface; and a binding agent on the surface of the detection region of the substrate, the binding agent specifically binding the selected pathogen.

Method and apparatus for detection of microscopic pathogens

Interactions between molecules which are components of self-assembled monolayers and other molecules can be amplified and transduced into an optical signal through the use of a mesogenic layer. The invention provides a device and methods for detecting analytes. The device comprises a substrate onto which a self-assembled monolayer is attached and a mesogenic layer which is anchored by the self-assembled monolayer. The mesogenic layer undergoes a change in conformation in response to the molecular interaction.

Optical Amplification of molecular interactions using liquid crystals

Detection apparatus for use in the detection of the presence of a selected pathogen in a sample are disclosed. Such apparatus include: a substrate with a detection region on a surface thereof, the detection region having microstructures including grooves formed therein that will align liquid crystal material in contact therewith, the width and depth of the grooves being in the range of 10 &mgr;m or less; a blocking layer on the surface of the detection region of the substrate that does not disrupt the alignment of liquid crystal material in contact therewith, the blocking layer blocking nonspecific adsorption of pathogens to the surface; and a binding agent on the surface of the detection region of the substrate, the binding agent specifically binding the selected pathogen.

Scanning probe microscopy is used to quantitatively characterize structural anisotropy within obliquely deposited metal films. Whereas visual inspection of AFM images (real space or reciprocal space) reveals no obvious structural anisotropy within these gold films, by quantitative analysis of the AFM profiles, subtle structural anisotropy is observed. The quantitative characterization provides a method to estimate the influence of anisotropy on the orientations of supported mesogenic layers.

Quantitative characterization of obliquely-deposited substrates of gold by atomic force microscopy: influence of substrate topography on anchoring of liquid crystals

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Lafayette, CA, United States of America

Justin J Skaife