Abstract
In this paper we discuss the theoretical and experimental constructs which together point the way towards the transduction of biomolecular recognition events into a palpable set of electrical signals. This combines the applied physics of surface perturbations on acoustic wave device surfaces and the biochemistry of the interactions between an immobilized biomolecule (e.g., an antibody) and a target molecule which is flowing past the sensor surface (e.g., an antigen). We will first provide the theoretical basis for our contention that we can extract information about both molecular recognition and conformational change from the electrical signal and will then confirm this assertion with experimental results relating to induced conformational changes in DNA on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) surface. Next we will discuss our digital radio technique whereby the real time measurements using antibody coated surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices in the vapor phase allow us to differentiate between close chemical analogs of nitro-based molecules (e.g., tri-nitro toluene vs musk oil) by virtue of the cross-reactivity of the antibody-antigen interaction. In immunochemistry this is referred to as antibody promiscuity. Finally, we present two- and three-dimensional plots illustrating our technique which derives much from in-phase and quadrature phase (IQ) mapping. The end result is a powerful technique which allows one to differentiate between target molecules and chemically similar interferrents.