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Michael J R Previte

Publications and source records attributed to Michael J R Previte.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Metal-enhanced phosphorescence: interpretation in terms of triplet-coupled radiating plasmons.

We report our detailed metal-enhanced phosphorescence (MEP) findings using Rose Bengal at low temperature. Silver Island Films (SiFs) in close proximity to Rose Bengal significantly enhance the phosphorescence emission intensity. In this regard, a 5-fold brighter phosphorescence intensity of Rose Bengal was observed from SiFs as compared to a glass control sample at 77 K. In addition, several factors affecting MEP, such as distance dependence and silver film morphology, were also investigated. Our findings suggest that both singlet and triplet states can couple to surface plasmons and enhance both fluorescence and phosphorescence yields. This finding suggests that MEP can be used to promote triplet-based assays, such as those used in photodynamic therapy.

Fluorescent Dyes↗

Microwave triggered metal enhanced chemiluminescence: Quantitative protein determination.

We present a new technology that offers a faster alternative to the chemiluminescence-based detection that is used in protein assay platforms today. By combining the use of silver nanostructures with chemiluminescent species, a technique that our laboratories have recently shown can enhance the system photon flux over 50-fold, with the use of low-power microwave heating to additionally accelerate, in essence "trigger", chemiluminescence-based reactions, then both ultrafast and ultrabright chemiluminescence assays can be realized. In addition, the preferential heating of the nanostructures by microwaves affords for microwave triggered metal enhanced chemiluminescence (MT-MEC) to be localized in proximity to the silvered surfaces, alleviating unwanted emission from the distal solution. To demonstrate MT-MEC, we have constructed a model assay sensing platform on both silvered and glass surfaces, where comparison with the identical glass substrate-based assay serves to confirm the significant benefits of using silver nanostructures for metal-enhanced chemiluminescence. Our new model assay technology can detect femtomoles of biotinylated BSA in less than 2 min and can indeed be modified to both detect and quantify a great many other biomolecules as well. As compared to traditional western blot approaches, MT-MEC offers protein quantification, high-sensitivity detection combined with ultrafast assay times, i.e., <2 min.

Animals↗

Microwave-triggered metal-enhanced chemiluminescence (MT-MEC): application to ultra-fast and ultra-sensitive clinical assays.

In this rapid communication we describe a new approach to protein detection with chemiluminescence. By combining common practices in protein detection with chemiluminescence, microwave technology, and metal-enhanced chemiluminescence, we show that we can use low power microwaves to substantially increase enzymatic chemiluminescent reaction rates on metal substrates. As a result, we have found that we can in essence trigger chemiluminescence with low power microwave (Mw) pulses and ultimately, perform on-demand protein detection assays. Using microwave triggered metal-enhanced chemiluminescence (MT-MEC), we not only improve the sensitivity of immunoassays with enhanced signal-to-noise ratios, but we also show that we can accurately quantify protein concentrations by integrating the photon flux for discrete time intervals.

Avidin↗

Frequency domain lifetime and spectral imaging microscopy.

In the femtoliter observation volume of a two-photon microscope, multiple fluorophores can be present and complex photophysics can take place. Combined detection of the fluorescence emission spectra and lifetimes can provide deeper insight into specimen properties than these two imaging modalities taken separately. Therefore, we have developed a detection scheme based on a frequency-modulated multichannel photomultiplier, which measures simultaneously the spectrum and the lifetime of the emitted fluorescence. Experimentally, the efficiency of the frequency domain lifetime measurement was compared to a time domain set-up. The performance of this spectrally and lifetime-resolved microscope was evaluated on reference specimens and living cells labeled with three different stains targeting the membrane, the mitochondria, and the nucleus.

Journal Article↗

Production, analysis, and application of spatially resolved shells in solid-phase polymer spheres.

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy has been used to interrogate the interior functionality of polymer resin beads. By employing this technique, the spatial distribution of the initial functionality contained within the polymer matrix has been determined. Spatially resolved, concentric shells were then produced synthetically in these polymer spheres via a series of protection/deprotection reactions in which two-photon fluorescence microscopy was employed to monitor each successive step. To demonstrate the potential utility of these techniques in combinatorial screening, a set of beads was prepared containing a unique tripeptide sequence in each of the three concentric shells within each individual bead. The set was then screened for the binding affinity of each tripeptide toward a fluorescent ligand.

Journal Article↗

Efficient and robust multiphoton data storage in molecular glasses and highly crosslinked polymers.

As electronics become ever faster and more powerful, there is growing interest in three-dimensional laser-based optical data storage techniques, which can potentially provide efficient storage at densities significantly higher than those that are likely to be available from magnetic media. The development of inexpensive, efficient and robust media has been a major obstacle in optical data storage. However, we have discovered a class of materials that become highly fluorescent on multiphoton absorption of pulses of 800-nm light from a Ti:sapphire oscillator, making them excellent candidate storage media. The materials are inexpensive, of high optical quality, can be processed readily, and can take a number of useful forms, including molecular glasses and highly crosslinked polymers. Three-dimensional data can be stored at high densities in these materials, and are highly robust to readout.

Electronics↗

Comparing the quantification of Forster resonance energy transfer measurement accuracies based on intensity, spectral, and lifetime imaging.

The measurement of Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in microscopes can be realized by different imaging modalities. In the present work, reference FRET constructs are developed to allow the comparison of FRET microscopy measurements using intensity, spectral, and lifetime imaging. Complimentary DNA strands are respectively labeled with Oregon Green 488 (OG488) or tetramethylrhodamine (TMR). The OG488 dye is fixed at the 5(') end of one strand, and the TMR label position is allowed to vary along the complimentary strand. Since OG488 and TMR are FRET pairs, the FRET efficiency can be determined theoretically from the distance separating the two dyes of the double-stranded DNA molecules. Microscopic images are formed by imaging microcapillaries containing various mixtures of oligonucleotides labeled with the FRET fluorophore pair, only the donor, or only acceptor. Traditional two-channel intensity measurements are compared with spectrally resolved imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging by calculating a FRET index. The latter proves to be the best method to quantify FRET efficiency in the image. More importantly, the intensity fraction of molecules undergoing FRET can be quantitatively measured in each pixel of the image.

Algorithms↗