Offer no. 13/16

New selective optical sensor for determination of proteins and huma serum albumin in particular, based on molecularly imprinted polymers and the liquid crystal birefringence

  • Summary:

    The subject of the present invention is a new optical chemosensor for the determination of proteins and human serum albumin (HSA) in particular. Bisbithiophene conducting polymer, molecularly imprinted with HSA, deposited on the surface of  a semitransparent Au-coated glass slide constituted the recognizing element this chemosensor. For the detection of protein binding to the MIP film, layer the phenomenon of the birefringence of liquid crystal was applied. The more protein molecules were entrapped in the MIP film the more distorted was liquid crystal structure, and thus more light transmitted through the sample. The devised chemosensor allows for determination of HSA in the concentration range of 3 to 15 µM.

  • Inventors:
    Maciej Cieplak, Rafał Węgłowski, Zofia Iskierko, Dorota Węgłowska, Piyush Sharma, Krzysztof Noworyta, Włodzimierz Kutner
  • Advantages / Innovative aspects:
    • For the first time, a molecularly imprinted polymer film is used as a recognizing unit of the optical chemosensor, wherein the analyte detection is based on the phenomenon of the birefringence of a thin liquid crystal layer,
    • Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film of 16 nm in thickness, semi-covalently imprinted with human serum albumin (HSA) constitutes the recognizing unit of the chemosensor.
  • Keywords:
    human serum albumin (HSA), molecularly imprinted polimer (MIP), chemosensor, liquid crystal, birefringence.
  • Field:
  • Usage:

    The devised chemosensor allows for easy determination of human serum albumin (HSA) in concentration range of 0.2 to 1 mg/mL. An elevated concentration of HSA in urine is caused by renal injury associated with diseases such as diabetes, and hypertension.

  • State of the progress:
    stage of research
  • Intellectual property rights:
    Patent application in Poland
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