Protein aggregation monitoring in microdisk optofluidic sensor through microcavity enhanced Raman scattering

Protein aggregation plays a crucial role in amyloid lesions but it is a huge challenge to monitor the slight changing process dynamically. Here, we propose an optofluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing chip. It consists of several microdisks deposited with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), where the microdisk acts as a whispering gallery microcavity (WGM) for light confinement and the Au NPs generate the localized surface plasma for electromagnetic enhancement. The effects of different stimulus factors on the secondary structure of lysozyme protein are revealed by observing the change of Raman spectroscopy of amide band with the enhancement of light-matter interaction. The optofluidic SERS design illuminates the potential for dynamic sensing of biological fluid and cellular microenvironment on chip.

Automated summary

In this study, an optofluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing chip is proposed for dynamic monitoring of protein aggregation. The chip utilizes a combination of gold nanoparticles and microdisks to enhance the Raman scattering signal, enabling real-time detection of slight changes in protein aggregation and potential applications in biological fluid and cellular microenvironment monitoring.