Silicon photonic microring resonators for the development of cancer protein biomarker assays

"Although often referred to as simply ""cancer,"" uncontrolled cell growth and division in a human body is often the result of a variety of biochemical perturbations. Efforts to improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients are increasingly relying upon more detailed individual biochemical information—i.e. a ""personalized medicine"" approach. One method to ascertain individual biochemical conditions is by measuring the levels of certain proteins in the blood stream, commonly referred to as cancer biomarkers. Traditional quantitative methods for biomarker analysis have typically relied on a single biomarker to provide information. However, single biomarker analyses have proven to be woefully incomplete in the information content needed for a personalized medical diagnosis. Multiplexed biomarker panels have the potential to overcome the limitations of single biomarker analysis due to the greater information content present in a panel of biomarkers, but technologies to rapidly, accurately, and reproducibly make multiplexed measurements, especially in a quantitative manner, are as yet undeveloped. This doctoral dissertation presents the development of silicon photonic microring resonator technology in the Ryan Bailey research laboratory towards multiplexed cancer protein biomarker measurements. Microring resonator sensing technology relies upon changes in refractive index that induce a resonance shift in circular silicon waveguides. Taking advantage of standard semiconductor processing techniques and facilities, it has been possible to rapidly develop sensor chips with 32 active sensors with the potential to be scaled even higher. These chips have thus been developed for making multiplexed biomarker measurements. This dissertation represents the development of microring resonator technology from a novel technology to applied multiplex detection in cancer patient blood serum samples. Chapter 1 introduces more fully the topic of microring resonators, followed by a discussion of the basic physical characteristics, properties, and abilities of the sensors in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 introduces singleplex protein biomarker detection with multiplex detection in buffer following in Chapter 4. Multiplexed capture agent screening, a necessity for multiplexed immunoassays, is covered in Chapter 5 followed by the singleplex detection of a protein biomarker in human serum in Chapter 6. The final work of this project concludes with Chapter 7 which describes the methods used to make multiplex cancer biomarker measurements in human serum."

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemistry

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Washburn, Adam

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bailey, Ryan C.
• Katzenellenbogen, John A.
• Scheeline, Alexander
• Sweedler, Jonathan V.

• biosensor
• silicon photonics
• microring resonators
• biomarker
• blood serum analysis
• cancer
• assay
• bioanalysis
• multiplex sensors

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Adam Lee Washburn

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/31162

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/31162