APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MONITORING AND DETECTING SMALL MOLECULE-BIOMOLECULE INTERACTIONS

摘要

An apparatus (22) is provided for monitoring small molecule-biomoleculeinteractions. An oscillating substrate (10) has a wet surface (46) for contactwith a liquid and for binding with a biomolecule and a dry surface (48). Adetection apparatus (42, 44) determines the resonance frequency of saidsubstrate before and after interaction. Thus, small molecules are monitoredfor interaction with biomolecules by contacting a solution containing thesmall molecule with immobilized biomolecules under test, and generatingacoustic waves using an acoustic wave device. Interaction of the smallmolecules with the immobilized biomolecules causes a change in frequency,which can be detected and analyzed electronically to monitor the interaction.