Herein, a nanoporous alumina was fabricated to use as a mold in transforming nanopillar structures onto a thin film polymer by thermal nanoimprint lithography (NIL). The size of the pores was successfully controlled by varying the applied voltages and etching time. These nanoporous structures were transferred to the Cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) film surface from the porous mold by a thermal nanoimprinting process. A plasmonic substrate was fabricated by sputtering a thin layer of gold onto this nanopillar polymer structure, and the refractive index response in a variety of media was evaluated. Finally, the biosensing capacity of this novel plasmonic substrate was verified by analysis of Human immunoglobulin and achieved a minimum detection limit of 1.0 ng/mL. With the advantages of mass production with consistent reproducibility stemming from the nanoimprint fabrication process, our gold-capped polymeric pillars are ready for the transition from academic interest into commercialization systems for practical use in diagnostic applications.

The threat of biological and chemical terror acts remains a growing worldwide concern. There is therefore a need to develop appropriate technology for the detection of chemical and biological warfare agents, with early identification intended for use by first responders. Here, we disclose the developed autonomous air sampling and detection system for evaluation of the presence of chemical and biological warfare agents that can be harmful to the population. The current device utilizes the designed mist generator-assisted air collection system (338 l min − 1 ) and biosensing chip technologies, such as electrochemical measurement, Au nanoparticle-based localized surface plasmon resonance, and rapid microfluidic chip PCR for detection of minute concentrations lower than the mean lethal dose (LD 50 ) of nerve gases (sarin and VX), toxic proteins (BTX/A/Hc and ricin), and pathogens (anthrax simulant). An operation time of only 5-15 min is needed for the collection and detection; sample preparation is already integrated into the system without the need for direct human intervention. In addition to the system's sensitivity and ease of use, its portability makes it highly beneficial for first responders, which could aid in immediate risk assessment and mitigation of on-site events.

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We describe parallelized label-free detection of protein interactions using a hyper-spectral imaging system. Multi-array protein chips were fabricated by immobilizing antibodies on Au-capped nanopillar polymer films, which showed an optical absorption band due to the localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the absorption spectrum. Parallelized detection of multiple antigen-antibody interactions was demonstrated by processing hyper-spectral images of the multi-array chip before and after the application of antigens. Human immunoglobulin A (IgA) and human C-reactive protein (CRP) were specifically detected, and the signal corresponding to these protein concentrations was obtained, indicating that this technique is promising for use in enhancing the performance of multiple protein assays.

In recent years, we have developed an advanced environmental monitoring system (AEMS) containing the eco-sensor, which means a sensor for the measurement of environmental pollutants, based on lipid membranes for continuous monitoring of ground water in industry areas such as semiconductor factories 1 . The AEMS project is composed of three work packages as follows, 1) Eco -sensor, 2) Prediction of plume propagation using a computer simulation technique, and 3) Environmental protection method. In this paper, we would like to focus on the study of the eco-sensor. We considered that modified lipid membranes serve as good models for cell membranes because they would be ideal hosts for receptor molecules of biological origin or disruptive environmental pollutants. Thus, we selected lipid membrane as a sensing element for environmental pollutants. We have already confirmed that the eco-sensor could detect a 10 ppb level of volatile organic chlorinated compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethylene in ground water. Here, we tried to apply the eco-sensor to measure other environmental pollutants containing pesticides and endocrine disrupting chemicals. We made a novel automatic bilayer lipid membrane preparation device and a new system for the continuous measurement of environmental pollutants in ground water.