Label-free protein detection using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Protein analysis is the foundation to understanding the mechanisms of complex biological processes. As one of the most widely used techniques to determine protein species and contents, protein dot blot aids biology research but needs corresponding antibodies for marking. A label-free detection method based on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is proposed and demonstrated to improve this traditional technology. A membrane loaded with protein samples is directly scanned using a transmission THz-TDS system for spectral imaging. Different kinds of proteins can be distinguished by the refractive index extracted from the THz transmission spectrum. The intensity or shade imaged with the THz transmission spectrum can help detect the protein quantitatively. The feasibility of this new protein assay is demonstrated by the results of systematic testing with actual samples prepared with the dot-blot protocol. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement