Research Projects

The biosensing field is focusing on real-time detection of single protein markers of dangerous diseases, which is a "holy-grail" due to the typical size of protein molecules being lower than 20 nm. To detect these molecules, ultra-sensitive and high-resolution biosensors are needed. The IIT Patna has developed experimental facilities to fabricate ultrasensitive nanoplasmonic-photonic whispering gallery mode (WGM) hybrid microresonators. These microresonators can be used to detect single protein molecules by monitoring the change in the resonance wavelength or recording the dip trace in the presence of the molecules. The size/mass of the protein molecules can be estimated from the observed wavelength change or wavelength shift. However, predicting the structural information of single protein molecules using existing experimental setups is not possible. Raman scattering spectra of single molecules can be obtained by recording the Raman scattering spectra of single molecules, which adsorb on the active sites of the hybrid microresonators. The project aims to extend the existing experimental setup for recording the dip trace of the hybrid microresonators in the presence of single protein molecules and Raman spectra of single molecules adsorbed on the active site. Specific detection of dangerous pathogens using hybrid microresonators can be achieved by functionalizing the nanoplasmonic particles with suitable antibodies.