Early detection of protein aggregation is of great importance in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. The successful detection\nof the aggregation of the protein a-synuclein in a quantitative, label-free manner by functionalising a microcantilever with a-\nsynuclein monomers and operating it in dynamic mode in the presence of a-synuclein monomers in solution is reported. A total\nmass of 6 ng of a-synuclein was detected over 9 hours on the surface of the cantilever. The result is compared to conventional\nfluorescence measurements of a-synuclein aggregation under similar conditions. It is found that the label-free cantilever detection\nmethod requires a concentration of protein 50 times smaller than that of the current method and indicated potential for\nsignificantly faster response times.
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