Fiber-optic nanosensor of nIR fluorescent carbon nanotube transducers

Our research group has developed A Fiber Optic Interface Coupled to Nanosensors with applications to protein aggregation and organic molecule quantification. We are leveraging the potential of fluorescent nanosensors to address analytical challenges in the biopharmaceutical industry, particularly in monitoring critical quality attributes of therapeutic proteins such as aggregation. Our approach involves the design and fabrication of an integrated fiber optic nanosensor element, which measures sensitivity, response time, and stability for rapid process monitoring. The fiber optic-nanosensor interface, or optode, consists of label-free nIR fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotube transducers embedded within a protective yet porous hydrogel attached to the end of the fiber waveguide. This optode platform can differentiate the aggregation status of human immunoglobulin G, reporting the relative fraction of monomers and dimer aggregates in under 5 minutes of analysis time. We have introduced a lab-on-fiber design with potential for at-line monitoring, integrating 3D-printed miniaturized sensor tips with high mechanical flexibility. This fully integrated lab-on-fiber system can rapidly monitor various bioanalytes, in addition to proteins and their aggregation states, offering an effective form factor for nanosensor-based transducers in industrial process monitoring.

A Fiber Optic Interface Coupled to Nanosensors: Applications to Protein Aggregation and Organic Molecule Quantification.

Daichi Kozawa, Soo-Yeon Cho, Xun Gong, Freddy T. Nguyen, Xiaojia Jin, Michael A. Lee, Heejin Lee, Alicia Zeng, Gang Xue, Jeff Schacherl, Scott Gibson, Leonela Vega, Michael S. Strano.

ACS Nano, 14, 10141-10152 (2020). 10.1021/acsnano.0c03417