This award supports the development of improved Data Processing and Analysis Software to be used with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors. In the last 10 years, the use of SPR sensors have become a standard method for measuring biomolecular interactions such as those involving antibodies, receptors, enzymes, and oligonucleotides. Many of the instruments that are available today are automated and, therefore, capable of generating a wealth of information about an interaction. However, there are currently no automated programs available to process biosensor data, and the use of available manual evaluation software is tedious and time consuming The goal of this project is the development of new software designed to reduce the time required for processing biosensor data from hours to seconds, while at the same time, significantly improving the quality of data through the use of novel referencing techniques. Additional developments are planned that will extend the capabilities of biosensors in the area of active concentration determination. Specialized error space analysis routines will also be incorporated to provide detailed information about the results of biosensor analysis. The new software, as well as educational manuals and tutorials, will be made freely available through the Internet. Access to this automated data processing software will turn the potential of real-time biosensor analysis into a reality.
