Protein immobilization and detection on laser processed polystyrene surfaces

The bovine serum albumin (BSA)-polystyrene (PS) interface layer is laser photo activated at 157 nm for site selective multiple target-protein immobilization. The 5-15 nm photon induced interface layer has different chemical, wetting, and stiffness properties than the PS photon processed surface. The irradiated areas exhibit target-protein binding, followed by localized probe-target protein detection. The photon induced chemical modification of the BSA-PS interface layer is identified by: (1) Morphological, imaging, and analysis of surface parameters with atomic force microscopy, (2) spectroscopic shift (4 cm-1), of the amide I group and formation of new C=N, NH2, C-O, C=O, and O-C=O groups following irradiation, identified with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and (3) the different hydrophilic/hydrophobic and force-distance response of the bare PS and BSA-PS surfaces. Near field edge diffraction (Fresnel) fluorescence imaging specifies the threshold photon energy and the fluence required to optically detect the protein binding on the photon induced BSA-PS interface layer. By approximating the Fresnel integrals with analytical functions, the threshold photon energy and the fluence are expressed as the sum of zero, first, and second order harmonic terms of two characteristic diffracted modes and they are specified to be 8.73x10-9 Jand623 J m-2, respectively. Furthermore, a bioarray of three probe-target proteins is fabricated with 1.5 μm spatial resolution using a 157 nm laser microstepper. The methodology eliminates the use of intermediate polymer layers between the blocking BSA protein and the PS substrate in bioarray fabrication.