Resolving molecule-specific information in dynamic lipid membrane processes with multi-resonant infrared metasurfaces

Rodrigo, D. et al. (2018) Resolving molecule-specific information in dynamic lipid membrane processes with multi-resonant infrared metasurfaces. Nature Communications, 9, 2160. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04594-x) (PMID:29867181) (PMCID:PMC5986821)

Abstract

A multitude of biological processes are enabled by complex interactions between lipid membranes and proteins. To understand such dynamic processes, it is crucial to differentiate the constituent biomolecular species and track their individual time evolution without invasive labels. Here, we present a label-free mid-infrared biosensor capable of distinguishing multiple analytes in heterogeneous biological samples with high sensitivity. Our technology leverages a multi-resonant metasurface to simultaneously enhance the different vibrational fingerprints of multiple biomolecules. By providing up to 1000-fold near-field intensity enhancement over both amide and methylene bands, our sensor resolves the interactions of lipid membranes with different polypeptides in real time. Significantly, we demonstrate that our label-free chemically specific sensor can analyze peptide-induced neurotransmitter cargo release from synaptic vesicle mimics. Our sensor opens up exciting possibilities for gaining new insights into biological processes such as signaling or transport in basic research as well as provides a valuable toolkit for bioanalytical and pharmaceutical applications.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under grant agreement no. 682167 VIBRANT-BIO, the European Union Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreements no. 665667 (call 2015), no. 777714 NOCTURNO and no. FETOPEN-737071 ULTRACHIRAL, and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement no. 625673 GRYPHON and no. 609416 ICFONest+.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kelly, Dr Christopher
• Authors: Rodrigo, D., Tittl, A., Ait-Bouziad, N., John-Herpin, A., Limaj, O., Kelly, C., Yoo, D., Wittenberg, N. J., Oh, S.-H., Lashuel, H. A., and Altug, H.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Chemistry
• Journal Name: Nature Communications
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 2041-1723
• ISSN (Online): 2041-1723
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Nature Communications 9: 2160
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License