TY - JOUR
T1 - Label-free protein sensing by employing blue phase liquid crystal
AU - Lee, Mon Juan
AU - Chang, Chung Huan
AU - Lee, Wei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Optical Society of America.
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Blue phases (BPs) are mesophases existing between the isotropic and chiral nematic phases of liquid crystals (LCs). In recent years, blue phase LCs (BPLCs) have been extensively studied in the field of LC science and display technology. However, the application of BPLCs in biosensing has not been explored. In this study, a BPLC-based biosensing technology was developed for the detection and quantitation of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The sensing platform was constructed by assembling an empty cell with two glass slides coated with homeotropic alignment layers and with immobilized BSA atop. The LC cells were heated to isotropic phase and then allowed to cool down to and maintained at distinct BP temperatures for spectral measurements and texture observations. At BSA concentrations below 10-6 g/ml, we observed that the Bragg reflection wavelength blueshifted with increasing concentration of BSA, suggesting that the BP is a potentially sensitive medium in the detection and quantitation of biomolecules. By using the BPLC at 37 °C and the same polymorphic material in the smectic A phase at 20 °C, two linear correlations were established for logarithmic BSA concentrations ranging from 10-9 to 10-6 g/ml and from 10-6 to 10-3 g/ml. Our results demonstrate the potential of BPLCs in biosensing and quantitative analysis of biomolecules.
AB - Blue phases (BPs) are mesophases existing between the isotropic and chiral nematic phases of liquid crystals (LCs). In recent years, blue phase LCs (BPLCs) have been extensively studied in the field of LC science and display technology. However, the application of BPLCs in biosensing has not been explored. In this study, a BPLC-based biosensing technology was developed for the detection and quantitation of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The sensing platform was constructed by assembling an empty cell with two glass slides coated with homeotropic alignment layers and with immobilized BSA atop. The LC cells were heated to isotropic phase and then allowed to cool down to and maintained at distinct BP temperatures for spectral measurements and texture observations. At BSA concentrations below 10-6 g/ml, we observed that the Bragg reflection wavelength blueshifted with increasing concentration of BSA, suggesting that the BP is a potentially sensitive medium in the detection and quantitation of biomolecules. By using the BPLC at 37 °C and the same polymorphic material in the smectic A phase at 20 °C, two linear correlations were established for logarithmic BSA concentrations ranging from 10-9 to 10-6 g/ml and from 10-6 to 10-3 g/ml. Our results demonstrate the potential of BPLCs in biosensing and quantitative analysis of biomolecules.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016139351&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1364/BOE.8.001712
DO - 10.1364/BOE.8.001712
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85016139351
SN - 2156-7085
VL - 8
SP - 1712
EP - 1720
JO - Biomedical Optics Express
JF - Biomedical Optics Express
IS - 3
M1 - #281647
ER -