(93a) Label-Free Biomolecular Sensing Using Fluorescent Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

A label-free molecular detection platform based on the fluorescent emissions of single wall carbon nanotubes will be presented. The carbon nanotubes are non-covalently modified with chelating polymers and single-stranded DNAs, which provides a specific recognition site for protein molecules. The bindings of the target biomolecules with the surface modified nanotubes disturb the dielectric environment of carbon nanotubes and hence cause their fluorescent emission property change. By monitoring their emission intensities, the specific recognition event on the nano scale is transduced to measurable macroscopic signals. In this presentation, we will demonstrate a miniature microarray platform to integrate multiple recognition sites onto a small area of glass slide. Using only a few microliter of the target sample, we are able to quickly detect multiple analytes using our nanosensor platform. The label-free detection system will be of great potential for product quality control and clinical diagnosing applications in the future.