An integrated solution for rapid biosensing with robust linker free covalent binding surfaces.

A novel integrated biosensor methodology is proposed and demonstrated. The methodology utilizes a nitrogen-containing plasma polymer to achieve linker-free binding of a layer of biorecognition molecules. The sensor surface has been shown to maintain its performance after freeze-drying providing a long shelf life under ambient conditions. The sensor is configured for single wavelength ellipsometric detection providing a low cost, versatile, and rapid sensing and diagnosis platform suitable for a wide range of applications and end-users. The merits of the methodology are demonstrated using three antigen-antibody pairs.