Selection of hapten structures for indirect immunosensor arrays

A multianalyte immunosensor array can be implemented by immobilization of different haptens in distinct areas of a single cavity or flow cell. In this case a mixture of different antibodies for different analytes is used in an indirect ELISA-format. The selection of the right hapten structures is very important to build up an array successfully. A system of independent hapten/antibody combinations is needed, with one immobilized hapten (coating antigen) reacting only with one antibody. If more than one antibody binds to a coating antigen no ideal calibration curves are obtained. This phenomenon is known as shared-reactivity and can lead to double-sigmoidal curves. To use monoclonal antibodies to 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), two different haptens had to be found, one only reacting with the TNT-antibody, the other only binding to the 2,4-D-antibody. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxybutyric acid was used for the 2,4-D antibody and 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-8-aminooctanoic acid for the TNT antibody. Although 4-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene showed only very low cross-reactivities to the 2,4-D antibody the corresponding haptens 4-nitrophenylacetic acid, 2,4-dinitrophenyl-6-aminohexanonic acid, and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluyl-(N)-glutarate are useful coating antigens for this antibody. The structure of the coating antigens had no significant influence on the midpoints (IC50) of the test for 2,4-D and even haptens with very low cross-reactivities could be used. With all haptens a test midpoint of about 0.2 μg/L for 2,4-D was achieved. For the direct assay format with immobilized antibodies the same test midpoint of 0.2 μg/L for 2,4-D was obtained. As a conclusion, the selectivity of a monoclonal antibody should not be influenced by the used tracer or coating antigen as well. It could be shown that the affinity constants of an antibody to the analytes are the main sensitivity and selectivity determining parameters for competitive immunoassays. A two-dimensional microtiter plate array was used to determine the analytes 2,4-D and TNT in parallel with a mixture of antibodies. Received: 29 July 1998 / Revised: 21 October 1998 / Accepted: 10 November 1998     

Dibenzodioxin adsorption on inorganic materials

Dibenzodioxin adsorption/desorption on solid surfaces is an important issue associated with the formation, adsorption, and emission of dioxins. Dibenzodioxin adsorption/desorption behaviors on inorganic materials (amorphous/mesoporous silica, metal oxides, and zeolites) were investigated using in situ FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Desorption temperatures of adsorbed dibenzodioxin are very different for different kinds of inorganic materials: approximately 200 degrees C for amorphous/mesoporous silica, approximately 230 degrees C for metal oxides, and approximately 450 degrees C for NaY and mordenite zeolites. The adsorption of dibenzodioxin can be grouped into three categories according to the red shifts of the IR band at 1496 cm(-1) of the aromatic ring for the adsorbed dibenzodioxin: a shift of 6 cm(-1) for amorphous/mesoporous silica, a shift of 10 cm(-1) for metal oxides, and a shift of 14 cm(-1) for NaY and mordenite, suggesting that the IR shifts are proposed to associated with the strength of the interaction between adsorbed dibenzodioxin and the inorganic materials. It is proposed that the dibenzodioxin adsorption is mainly via the following three interactions: hydrogen bonding with the surface hydroxyl groups on amorphous/mesoporous silica, complexation with Lewis acid sites on metal oxides, and confinement effect of pores of mordenite and NaY with pore size close to the molecular size of dibenzodioxin.     

Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase immobilized on a hexagonal mesoporous silica-MCM-41 matrix

The direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized on a hexagonal mesoporous silica modified glassy carbon electrode was investigated. The adsorbed GOD displayed a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of -417 mV in 0.1 M pH 6.1 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The response showed a diffusion-controlled electrode process with a two-electron transfer coupled with a two-proton transfer reaction process. GOD immobilized on a hexagonal mesoporous silica retained its bioactivity and stability. In addition, the immobilized GOD could electrocatalyze the oxidation of glucose to gluconlactone by taking ferrocene monocarboxylic acid (FMCA) as a mediator in N(2) saturated solutions, indicating that the electrode may have the potential application in biosensors to analyze glucose. The sensor could exclude the interference of commonly coexisted uric acid, p-acetaminophenol and ascorbic acid and diagnose diabetes very fast and sensitively. This work demonstrated that the mesoporous silica provided a novel matrix for protein immobilization and the construction of biosensors.     

Fabrication of DNA-protein conjugate layer on gold-substrate and its application to immunosensor

The fabrication of antibody thin film using both protein G and oligonucleotide was carried out by self-assembly (SA) technique for immunosensor. A mixture of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and oligonucleotide with thiol (SH) end group was self-assembled of gold (Au) surface for two-dimensional (2D) configuration. Protein G was chemically adsorbed on the 11-MUA surface, and then the antibody was immobilized on the protein G region. On the immobilized single-stranded DNA, the complementary DNA–antibody conjugate was hybridized for the oriented immobilization of antibody. The formation of self-assembled 11-MUA/oligonucleotide layer, protein G immobilization, antibody layer, and antigen binding was investigated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The topographies of the fabricated surfaces were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). When compared with the amount of antigen binding on the antibody thin film fabricated by protein G only, the proposed biosurface fabricated with both protein G and oligonucleotide showed better binding capacity, which implicates the improvement of the detection limit.     

Isolation and Characterization of PHA-Producing Bacteria from Propylene Oxide Saponification Wastewater Residual Sludge

Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies as therapeutic agents have the potential to reduce the production cost and immunogenicity relative to monoclonal antibodies, but their monovalency and lack of a fragment crystallizable region can lead to reduced function. Multimerization is one strategy for recovering the function; however, their application is limited by the production of multimeric proteins. In our previous study, an anti-lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) scFv showed potential use in diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerotic diseases, but is limited by its inherent low antigen-binding activity. In this study, to improve the efficacy of the anti-LOX-1 scFv, we constructed the anti-LOX-1 scFv multimers by modifying the linker length between the variable domains of the scFv or by fusing the scFv with self-merization domains and expressed these scFv multimers in Brevibacillus choshinensis hosts. After optimization, all of the scFv multimers obtained efficient secretion expression. Compared with the scFv monomer, the multimers that are successfully fractionated displayed increased neutralization activity and showed elevated antigen-binding avidity, especially the tetramer, which improved the antigen avidity by two orders of magnitude. Moreover, the scFv dimer and the tetramer both displayed better stability and longer half-life in serum, which can be attractive candidates for the next-generation anti-LOX-1 therapeutic antibody.     

Acidity of mesoporous MoO(x)/ZrO2 and WO(x)/ZrO2 materials: a combined solid-state NMR and theoretical calculation study

The acidity of mesoporous MoO(x)/ZrO2 and WO(x)/ZrO2 materials was studied in detail by multinuclear solid-state NMR techniques as well as DFT quantum chemical calculations. The 1H MAS NMR experiments clearly revealed the presence of two different types of strong Br?nsted acid sites on both MoO(x)/ZrO2 and WO(x)/ZrO2 mesoporous materials, which were able to prontonate adsorbed pyrine-d5 (resulting in 1H NMR signals at chemical shifts in the range 16-19 ppm) as well as adsorbed trimethylphosphine (giving rise to 31P NMR signal at ca. 0 ppm). The 13C NMR of adsorbed 2-(13)C-acetone indicated that the average Br?nsted acid strength of the two mesoporous materials was stronger than that of zeolite HZSM-5 but still weaker than that of 100% H2SO4, which was in good agreement with theoretical predictions. The quantum chemical calculations revealed the detailed structures of the two distinct types of Br?nsted acid sites formed on the mesoporous MoO(x)/ZrO2 and WO(x)/ZrO2. The existence of both monomer and oligomer Mo (or W) species containing a Mo-OH-Zr (or W-OH-Zr) bridging OH group was confirmed with the former having an acid strength close to zeolite HZSM-5, with the latter having an acid strength similar to sulfated zirconia. On the basis of our NMR experimental and theoretical calculation results, a possible mechanism was proposed for the formation of acid sites on these mesoporous materials.     

利用棋盘格实验直接筛选酶免疫测定的最佳包被抗原和抗体浓度

以两个单克隆抗体及其相应的包被抗原为例,研究了棋盘格实验中包被抗原与抗体浓度组合对免疫检测中0孔吸光度值A0、IC50值和标准曲线斜率的影响.结果发现,A0和IC50值随包被抗原与抗体稀释倍数的增加而降低;斜率随抗体稀释倍数增加而降低,而随包被抗原的稀释倍数增加表现出先增加后降低的趋势.在同一抗体浓度和不同包被抗原浓度的组合中,斜率最大值出现在使板吸附达到饱和的最大稀释倍数的包被抗原浓度附近.综合实验结果确认从棋盘格实验中直接筛选最佳包被抗原、抗体浓度组合的标准是:选择使板吸附达到饱和的最大包被抗原稀释倍数为最佳包被抗原浓度,在不同抗体浓度与已选择的最佳包被抗原浓度组合中使0孔吸光度值达1.0左右的抗体稀释倍数为最佳抗体浓度.     

Amino acid adsorption on mesoporous materials: influence of types of amino acids, modification of mesoporous materials, and solution conditions

In order to disclose the dominant interfacial interaction between amino acids and ordered mesoporous materials, the adsorption behaviors of five amino acids on four mesoporous materials were investigated in aqueous solutions with adjustable amino acid concentration, ion strength, and pH. The selected amino acids were acidic amino acid glutamic acid (Glu), basic amino acid arginine (Arg), and neutral amino acids phenylalanine (Phe), leucine (Leu), and alanine (Ala), and the selected mesoporous materials were SBA-15, Al-SBA-15, CH3(10%)-SBA-15, and CH3(20%)-SBA-15. The adsorption capacities of Glu and Arg were strongly dependent on pH and surface charge of the mesoporous adsorbent. The adsorption of Phe showed pH insensitivity but depended on the surface organic functionalization of mesoporous adsorbent. On the basis of the theoretical analysis about the interaction between amino acid and adsorbent, such a remarkable difference was attributed to the different nature of the interaction between amino acid and adsorbent. Arg could be readily adsorbed on the surface of SBA-15, especially Al-SBA-15, under appropriate pH in which the electrostatic interaction was predominant. The driving force of Phe adsorption on mesoporous adsorbent mainly came from the hydrophobic interaction. Therefore, the adsorption capability of Arg decreased with increasing ion strength of solution, while the adsorption capability of Phe increased with the increasing degree of CH3 functionalization on SBA-15. For neutral amino acid Phe, Ala, and Leu, the adsorption capability increased with the increase of the length of their side chains, which was another evidence of hydrophobic effect. Thus, all the adsorption of amino acids on mesoporous silica materials can be decided by the combined influence of two fundamental interactions: electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic effect.     

Methodology for the immobilization of enzymes onto mesoporous materials

Cytochrome c and xylanase were adsorbed onto two mesoporous materials, SBA-15 (a pure silicate) and MSE (an organosilicate), with very similar physical properties but differing chemical compositions. A methodical order was developed whereby the influences of surface area, pore size, extent of order, particle size, surface potentials, isoelectric points, pH, and ionic strength on immobilization were explored. In silico studies of cytochrome c and xylanase were conducted before any immobilization experiments were carried out in order to select compatible materials and probe the interactions between the adsorbents and the mesoporous silicates. The stabilities of the mesoporous materials at different pH values and their isoelectric points and zeta potentials were determined. Electrostatic attraction dominated protein interactions with SBA-15, while weaker hydrophobic interactions are more prominent with MSE for both cytochrome c and xylanase. The ability of the immobilized protein/enzyme to withstand leaching was measured, and activity tests and thermostability experiments were conducted. Cytochrome c immobilized onto SBA-15 showed resistance to leaching and an enhanced activity compared to free protein. The immobilized cytochrome c was shown to have higher intrinsic activity but lower thermostability than free cytochrome c. From an extensive characterization of the surface properties of the silicates and proteins, we describe a systematic methodology for the adsorption of proteins onto mesoporous silicates. This approach can be utilized in the design of a solid support for any protein.     

Preparation and application of nanocatalysts via surface functionalization of mesoporous materials

Surface immobilization of active species onto mesoporous materials is gaining importance, especially in the design of functionalized mesoporous materials as a nanocatalyst through heterogenization of homogeneous catalytic systems. This article summarizes recent work on the synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance of the functionalized mesoporous catalysts performed by the present authors. A cationic rhenium(I) complex was encapsulated into mesoporous Al-MCM-41 molecular sieve using a ion-exchange method, yielding a new photocatalyst to be active for photocatalytic reduction of CO₂. Surface functionalization of mesoporous silica SBA-15 with sulfonic acid groups was investigated to give a solid acid catalyst. The chemically modified Fe-containing mesoporous materials, which are active for hydroxylation of phenol, were prepared by a surface-grafting method that iron salts are immobilized onto mesoporous Si-MCM-41 with the help of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a linker. A cobalt(III) complex was heterogenized onto mesoporous silica SBA-15 containing carboxylic groups in order to utilize as a solid catalyst for the liquid-phase oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Towards immunoassay in whole blood: separationless sandwich-type electrochemical immunoassay based on in-situ generation of the substrate of the labeling enzyme

An 18 minute separationless amperometric ELISA-type sandwich immunoassay, utilizing only stable reagents and having no washing steps is described. The platform for the assay was an electron conducting redox hydrogel on a vitreous carbon electrode. Avidin and choline oxidase were co-immobilized on the redox hydrogel and the biotinylated antibody to the antigen to be assayed (the biotin-labeled F(ab′)₂ fragment of goat anti-rabbit IgG) was bound to the gel. When the antigen (goat anti-rabbit IgG) was present in the analyzed solution, then its binding to the immobilized antibody made the electrode receptive to the complementary peroxidase-labeled antibody (horseradish peroxidase-labeled F(ab′)₂ fragment of goat anti-rabbit IgG). Its binding resulted in electrical contact (“wiring”) of the horseradish peroxidase label to the redox hydrogel, and converted the non-catalytic hydrogel into an electrocatalyst for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide to water at –0.07 V (SCE) and resulted in the flow of a cathodic current. The electroreduced hydrogen peroxide was not added to the solution and was therefore not significantly accessible to hydrogen peroxide decomposing agents such as catalase. Instead, it was generated within the coating of the electrode through reacting dissolved choline with oxygen. This reaction was catalyzed by the immobilized choline oxidase. The reaction centers of choline oxidase, unlike those of horseradish peroxidase, are not connected to the electrode by the redox hydrogel.     

Improved fluoroquinolone detection in ELISA through engineering of a broad-specific single-chain variable fragment binding simultaneously to 20 fluoroquinolones

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are a group of synthetic, broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. Due to its extensive use in animal industry and aquaculture, residues of these antibiotics and the emergence of bacteria resistant to FQs have become a major public health issue. To prepare a generic antibody capable of recognizing nearly all FQs, a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) was generated from the murine hybridoma cells C49H1 producing a FQ-specific monoclonal antibody. This scFv was characterized by indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA), and it showed identical binding properties to parental monoclonal antibody: it was capable of recognizing 17 of 20 targeted FQs below maximum residue limits, except for sarafloxacin (SAR), difloxacin (DIF), and trovafloxacin (TRO) which are highly concerned members in the FQs family. In order to broaden the specificity of this scFv to SAR and its analogues (DIF and TRO), protein homology modeling and antibody-ligands docking analysis were employed to identify the potential key amino acid residues involved in hapten antibody. A mutagenesis phage display library was generated by site directed mutagenesis randomizing five aminoacid residues in the third heavy-chain complementarity determining region. After one round of panning against biotinylated norfloxacin (NOR) and four rounds of panning against biotinylated SAR, scFv variants we screened showed up to 10-fold improved IC(50) against SAR, DIF, and TRO in ciELISA while the specificity against other FQs was fully retained.     

Synthesis of SBA-15 from low cost silica precursor obtained from sugarcane leaf ash and its application as a support matrix for lipase in biodiesel production

Ordered mesoporous silica material was synthesized from a low-cost precursor, sugarcane leaf ash, was used as a support matrix for lipase for the production of biodiesel. The mesoporous samples were characterized using Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy. The surface topography and morphology of the mesoporous materials were studied using scanning electron microscope. The pore diameter, pore volume, Brunauer Emmett and Teller surface area of the mesoporous material were determined by N₂ gas adsorption technique. Different pore size Santa Barbara Acid-15 (SBA-15) samples were synthesized and their lipase immobilization capacity and specific enzyme activity of immobilization lipase were determined and compared. Lipase from Candida Antarctica immobilized on SBA-15 (C) had shown maximum percentage immobilization and specific enzyme activity. The immobilized lipase mesoporous matrix was used for biodiesel production from crude non-edible Calophyllum inophyllum oil. The percentage yield of fatty acid methyl ester, 97.6 % was obtained under optimized conditions: 100 mg of lipase immobilized on SBA-15, 6:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, the reaction of 2 g C. inophyllum oil with methanol.     

Chemical Immobilization of Heteropolyacid Catalyst on Inorganic Mesoporous Material for use as an Oxidation Catalyst

Recent progress on the chemical immobilization of heteropolyacid (HPA) catalyst on inorganic mesoporous material is reported in this review. Mesostructured cellular foam silica, mesoporous carbon, and nitrogen-containing mesoporous carbon were used as supporting materials. The mesoporous materials were modified to have a positive charge, and thus, to provide sites for the immobilization of HPA catalyst. By taking advantage of the overall negative charge of heteropolyanion, the HPA catalyst was chemically immobilized on the surface-modified mesoporous material as a charge-compensating component. Characterization results showed that the HPA catalyst was finely and molecularly dispersed on the surface of mesoporous material via strong chemical immobilization, and that the pore structure of mesoporous material was still maintained even after the immobilization of HPA catalyst. The supported HPA catalysts were applied to the model vapor-phase ethanol conversion, 2-propanol conversion, and methacrolein oxidation reactions. The supported HPA catalyst showed a better oxidation catalytic activity than the unsupported HPA catalyst in the model reactions. The enhanced oxidation catalytic performance of the supported HPA catalyst was attributed to the finely dispersed HPA catalyst, which was chemically immobilized on the positive site of mesoporous material by sacrificing its proton (Brönsted acid site). The HPA catalyst chemically immobilized on mesoporous material served as an excellent oxidation catalyst.     

不同介孔材料固定青霉素酰化酶的稳定性研究

介孔材料由于具有在2～30nm之间可调的纳米级规则孔道、大比表面积和强吸附性能而成为固定化酶的优良载体．将酶固定于介孔材料的孔道中制备成的固定化酶与溶液酶相比,有易于与产物分离,并可回收和反复使用,可降低生产成本,减少酶的自水解和保持酶的活性．青霉素酰化酶（Penicillin acylase,PGA,EC．3．5．1．11）又称为青霉素酰胺酶或青霉素氨基水解酶,该酶属于球蛋白,分子量较大,由2个亚基组成：分子量为19500的含有侧链结合位点的亚基和分子量为60000的含有催化位点的亚基．     

Evaluation of antibody immobilization technqiues for fiber optic-based fluoroimmunosensing

Fiber optic chemical sensors have been developed that employ immunochemicals to perform fluoroimmunoassays. A regenerable fiber optic sensor was developed with a capillary delivery system to perform repetitive assays using antibodies immobilized to beads, “immunobeads”. The sensitivity of these sensors is directly proportional to the amount of antibody present. For the immunobeads, the amount immobilized (loaded) and the ability of the immobilized antibody to maintain antibody recognition (activity) are two criteria which will affect the sensitivity of the sensors. Four reagents, [1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), Protein A, glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS) and 2-fluoro-1-methylpyridium toluene-4-sulfonate (FMP)], were evaluated using these two criteria. Two antibody—antigen systems were employed to investigate the four procedures. The first combination is a polyclonal rabbit anti-human IgG with a F(ab)^′₂ fragment human IgG as the antigen. The second combination is a monoclonal mouse anti-benzo[a]pyrene tetraol (BPT) IgG with BPT as the hapten. In the case of the BPT, CDI demonstrated superior performance, combining high loading and high retention of antibody activity. In the case of the large antigen, CDI again immobilized the most antibody but suffered activity losses of about 40%. The large amount of inactive antibody may make this procedure less attractive than the Protein A beads, which maintained the activity of the anti-human IgG but exhibited less loading than the CDI. However, in terms of active antibody there are similar amounts. FMP yielded similar results to CDI for the large antigen case but the sample preparation is more labor intensive. GOPS yielded losses of up to 70% of the antibody activity, which makes it unattractive as a reagent. The two systems tested give an indication of antibody—antigen interactions but may not be representative of all cases. The ideal immobilization reagent and conditions will probably change from system to system.     

Construction,Purification, and Characterization of Anti-BAFF scFv–Fc Fusion Antibody Expressed in CHO/dhfr<Superscript>−</Superscript> Cells

Elevated levels of B-cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases in human. In this study, we have constructed a vector for the expression of a novel compact antibody composed of anti-BAFF single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) and the Fc region (the hinge region, CH2, and CH3 domains) of human IgG1 in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The scFv–Fc fusion protein, showing spontaneous Fc fragment-mediated homodimerization via disulfide bridges, was affinity-purified on protein A Sepharose from culture supernatant. The scFv–Fc antibody was demonstrated to retain high binding affinity to antigen and prolonged clearance time in blood and to possess some human IgG crystallizable fragment effector functions such as protein A binding and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These results suggest that this recombinant antibody may have therapeutic applications in the therapy of autoimmune disorders mediated by BAFF.     

Oriented surface immobilization of antibodies at the conserved nucleotide binding site for enhanced antigen detection

The conserved nucleotide binding site (NBS), found on the Fab variable domain of all antibody isotypes, remains a not-so-widely known and unutilized site. Here, we describe a UV photo-cross-linking method (UV-NBS) that utilizes the NBS for oriented immobilization of antibodies onto surfaces, such that the antigen binding activity remains unaffected. Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) has an affinity for the NBS with a K(d) ranging from 1 to 8 μM for different antibody isotypes and can be covalently photo-cross-linked to the antibody at the NBS upon exposure to UV light. Using the UV-NBS method, antibody was successfully immobilized on synthetic surfaces displaying IBA via UV photo-cross-linking at the NBS. An optimal UV exposure of 2 J/cm(2) yielded significant antibody immobilization on the surface with maximal relative antibody activity per immobilized antibody without any detectable damage to antigen binding activity. Comparison of the UV-NBS method with two other commonly used methods, ε-NH(3)(+) conjugation and physical adsorption, demonstrated that the UV-NBS method yields surfaces with significantly enhanced antigen detection efficiency, higher relative antibody activity, and improved antigen detection sensitivity. Taken together, the UV-NBS method provides a practical, site-specific surface immobilization method, with significant implications in the development of a large array of platforms with diverse sensor and diagnostic applications.     

Prearation of Highly Ordered Mesoporous Silica Materials and Application as Enzeme Supports

An enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was adsorbed in the manner of single immersion method on the silica mesoporous materials, FSM-16, MCM-41 and SBA-15 with various pore diameters from 27 to 92 and their enzymatic activity in an organic solvent and the thermal stability were studied. FSM-16 and MCM-41 showed larger amount of adsorption of HRP than SBA-15 or silica gel,when the pore sizes were larger than the spherical molecular diameter of HRP (ca 64×37). The increased enzyme adsorption capacity may be due to the surface characteristics of FSM-16 and MCM-41, which would be consistent with the observed larger adsorption capacity of cationic pigment compared with anionic pigment for these materials. The immobilized HRP on FSM-16 and MCM-41 with pore diameter above 50 showed the highest enzymatic activity in an organic toluene and thermal stability in aqueous solution at the temperature of 70℃. The immobilized enzymes on the other mesoporous materials including large or small pore sized FSM-16 showed lower enzymatic activity in an organic solvent and the thermal stability. Both surface character and size matching between pore sizes and the molecular diameters of HRP were important in achieving high enzymatic activity in organic solvent and high thermal stability.     

Microcontact printed antibodies on gold surfaces: function, uniformity, and silicone contamination

The function of microcontact printed protein was investigated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectroscopy (XPS), and XPS imaging. We chose to analyze a model protein system, the binding of an antibody from solution to a microcontact printed protein antigen immobilized to a gold surface. SPR imaging experiments indicated that the microcontact printed protein antigen was less homogeneous, had increased nonspecific binding, and bound less antibody than substrates to which the protein antigen had been physically adsorbed. SPR images of substrates contacted with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamp inked with buffer alone (i.e., no protein) revealed that significant amounts of silicone oligomer were transferred to the surface. The transfer of the silicone oligomer was not homogeneous, and the oligomer nonspecifically bound protein (BSA and IgG) from solution. XPS spectroscopy and imaging were used to quantify the amount of silicon (due to the presence of silicone oligomer), as well as the amounts of other elements, transferred to the surface. The results suggest that the silicone oligomer introduced by the printing process reduces the overall binding capacity of the microcontact-printed protein compared to physically adsorbed protein.