Seminar of Dr Jérémy Bell

Dr Jérémy Bell works in the Chemical and Optical Sensing Group at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM, Germany).

Abstract

One of the main issues in modern bioanalytical research is the early and accurate identification and quantification of illness biomarkers such as phosphorylated amino acids, peptides, and proteins. A molecular probe that specifically targets phosphorylated tyrosine was integrated on submicron-sized core–shells particles, which are made of a silica core and a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) shell. A modular microfluidic system was built to integrate the sensory particles but also to derivatize, purify, and extract the targeted peptide by micropillar co-flow. In combination to the fluidic assembly, a miniaturized opto-electronic components and optical fibers were used to afford a miniaturized and isolated setup for low-light fluorescence measurements. The effective integration of this bead-based sensor to a microfluidic platform allowed for robust and semi-automated assays. A substantial imprinting factor (selectivity) allowed to distinguish between a pY-terminated peptide and its non-phosphorylated counterpart.