Systems, methods, and modules for detecting a biomarker in a sample are described. A system for detecting presence or absence of a biomarker in a sample includes: a light source for producing electromagnetic radiation for interrogating the sample; a biosensor module including: a waveguide for guiding the electromagnetic radiation, the waveguide exposed to the sample; and a recognition element affixed to the waveguide and configured to bind to the biomarker; a detector for receiving the electromagnetic radiation from the waveguide and detecting a signal corresponding to an interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the biomarker bound to the recognition element, in accordance with at least one detection modality; and a computing device for analyzing data related to the signal in order to detect presence or absence of the biomarker in the sample.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of sensor devices comprising a sensing component able to determine the presence of, detect, and/or quantify detectable species in a variety of environments and applications. The sensing components disclosed herein can comprise MOF materials, plasmonic nanomaterials, redox-active molecules, a metal, or any combinations thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, optical properties of the plasmonic nanomaterials and/or the redox-active molecules combined with MOF materials can be monitored directly to detect analyte species through their impact on external conditions surrounding the material or as a result of charge transfer to and from the plasmonic nanomaterial and/or the redox-active molecule as a result of interactions with the MOF material.

An apparatus for determining the presence or concentration of target molecules comprises: a radiation source; a surface; a waveguide; a detector; and a spectral filter. The radiation source is operable to produce electromagnetic radiation. The surface defines a two dimensional array of receptor sites. The waveguide is arranged to receive the electromagnetic radiation produced by the radiation source, divide the electromagnetic radiation and direct a portion of the electromagnetic radiation to each one of a two dimensional array of receptor sites. The detector comprises a two dimensional array of sensing elements, each sensing element arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation from a different one of the two dimensional array of receptor sites. The spectral filter is provided between the surface and the detector.

Natural and/or synthetic antibodies for specific proteins are adhered to nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are adhered to a substrate and the substrate is exposed to a sample that may contain the specific proteins. The substrates are then tested with surface enhanced Raman scattering techniques and/or localized surface plasmon resonance techniques to quantify the amount of the specific protein in the sample.

A hydrogen sensor and preparation method therefor, and a method for implementing hydrogen detection based on the hydrogen sensor. The hydrogen sensor includes an elastomeric substrate and a hydrogen sensitive material-based nanostructure positioned on the elastomeric substrate, the surface of the elastomeric substrate close to the hydrogen sensitive material-based nanostructure has a nanoarray structure, and the hydrogen sensitive material-based nanostructure and the nanoarray structure are complementary to each other. In addition, the present disclosure provides a preparation method for the hydrogen sensor and a method for implementing hydrogen detection based on the hydrogen sensor.

An assay repository device for photothermal or joule heating includes an assay container having an interior surface and being configured to house an assay solution, and a nanostructure layer conformally integrated onto the assay container and directly contacting the interior surface, the nanostructure layer being plasmonic and thermally conductive, and including a plurality of nanofeatures having non-uniform sizes and/or non-uniform shapes.

A sensor element and sensor comprising the sensing element. The sensor includes, in order, an absorptive layer, a metallic layer and an optically transparent, dielectric substrate. The absorptive layer has a polymer of intrinsic microporosity having an average pore volume of at least 0.1 nm.sup.3. The metallic layer has a plurality of openings each extending from the first to the second major surface of the metallic layer, the openings having a pitch in a range from 50 nm to 5000 nm, wherein the openings have an opening size in a range from 5% to 95% percent of the pitch.

The present invention relates to a method of characterizing the binding characteristics between a peptide of interest and MHC molecules of a given cell type, the method comprising the steps of: (i) Providing two or more cells characterized by displaying, on their surface, MHC molecules, (ii) dispensing the two or more cells in two or more vessels, so that each vessel comprises one or more cells, (iii) adding, to the different vessels, different variants of a peptide of interest, wherein the variants of said peptide are labeled and have the same amino acid sequence, yet differ from one another in the type of labeling and their concentration, and exposing the cells thereto so as to form, in the different vessels, peptide-MHC complexes on the surface of the cells, (iv) isolating the thus formed peptide-MHC complexes and (v) determining the concentration of the different peptide-MHC complexes formed (FIG. 1).

A molecular probe comprising at least one first moiety and at least one second moiety which are each covalently bound to the molecular probe, wherein: the at least one first moiety comprises at least one binding peptide or peptidomimetic for binding the molecular probe to at least one extracellular vesicle (EV) membrane, wherein the binding is mediated by EV membrane curvature sensing; and the at least one second moiety comprises at least one support binding group for binding of the molecular probe to at least one support. The molecular probe can also comprise a spacer moiety, and/or a labeling moiety, and/or a modification moiety. The molecular probe can be bound to a solid or semi-solid support including a microarray support. The molecular probe can be used in methods in which it is contacted with sample which might include the extracellular vesicle and can involve detection and isolation steps. Kits can include the molecular probe.

Provided herein is a sensing apparatus comprising, at least one LSPR light source, at least one detector, and at least one sensor for LSPR detection of a target chemical. The sensor comprises a substantially transparent, porous membrane having nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of its pores, the nanoparticles being functionalized with one or more capture molecules. There is further provided a self-referencing sensor for distinguishing non-specific signals from analyte binding signals. The self-referencing sensor comprising one or more nanoparticles having at least two distinct LSPR signals.