Fundamentals of Biosensors and Application of MALDI-ToF-MS in Bio-diagnostic Domain

Abstract

In this chapter, fundamentals of biosensor devices are explained with a special emphasis on optical biosensors such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Current chapter introduces a novel polymeric material that can be used as a substitution of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), which is one of the mostly applied materials in fabrication of ELISA well plates. Proposed polymeric material is a copolymer synthesized in free-radical polymerization reaction with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) as monomers. Potential analytical platforms made from this copolymer can overcome some of the major drawbacks of the conventional platforms made from PMMA. In order to have a close control over the chemical and physical properties of the developed material, this copolymer was synthesized in different compositions by variation of the monomers concentrations in polymerization reaction. All different composition of this copolymer has been thoroughly analyzed by MALDI-ToF-MS and results are discussed in a great detail. MADLI has been used as a powerful technique to provide essential information regarding structural formation of the polymer chains in each composition as well as end-groups analysis of the respective chains. Present chapter connects analytical data obtained from MALDI analysis with the application of these platforms as bioreceptor surfaces for antibody immobilization and subsequent virus detection. Developed platforms have been investigated by MALDI in respect to their chemical and physical properties and their suitability for their application in virus detection. Current chapter also explains that a carful design of the macromolecule is possible by controlling the reaction parameters. In that path, MALDI analysis plays a vital role in confirmation of the reaction’s outcome. This chapter is dedicated to the MALDI analysis of a linear polymer chains with 2 monomers involved in synthesis reaction.