PhaseLab Instrument
SPR research
Peer-reviewed studies built on our phase-sensitive SPR platform.
J. Phys. Chem. C 2025, 129, 1779–1788 · American Chemical Society
Detection of Mercury Ions at ng/L Scale by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) on DNA Aptamer Biochips
Antoine Elie, Yann Niberon, Aurélien Bruyant, Laurent Arnaud, Claudia Cosio, Julien Proust
Antoine also shares his experience developing this project in our testimonials.
Using the 2-channel Ipso-LAB SPR platform, the team built a continuous-flow system to detect mercuric ions (Hg²⁺) and methylmercury (CH₃–Hg⁺) with DNA aptamer biochips. The aptamer folds into a hairpin shape as mercuric ions bind — a conformational change the SPR signal tracks directly, with no labels and no nanoparticles. Circular dichroism confirmed the mechanism: folding requires a minimum of three mercuric ions per DNA strand.
- Hg²⁺ detection down to the ng/L range — sensitivity competitive with ICP-MS and CV-AFS, from a compact, portable instrument
- Label-free, real-time monitoring: no gold nanoparticles, no fluorescent tags
- Selective for Hg²⁺ over methylmercury, confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy
- Measured on the 2-channel, phase-sensitive Ipso-LAB platform at 680 nm
Mercury detection range
Minimum Hg²⁺ to trigger folding
Biosensors 2022, 12, 1132 · MDPI
Stabilization of Copper-Based Biochips with Alumina for Biosensing Application
Nour Beydoun, Yann Niberon, Laurent Arnaud, Julien Proust, Komla Nomenyo, Shuwen Zeng, Gilles Lerondel, Aurélien Bruyant
Gold is the default plasmonic metal for SPR biochips, but it is expensive and scarce. This study tested a cheaper, far more abundant substitute — copper. Measured with a compact phase-sensitive SPR platform from PhaseLab Instrument, bare copper was found to oxidize and degrade within minutes in water. A few nanometers of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) protection extend the usable measurement window past 1.5 hours, at a sensitivity comparable to gold.
- Copper-based SPR chips reach a sensitivity of ∼106°/RIU — comparable to standard gold chips (∼110–120°/RIU)
- A 3 nm Al₂O₃ layer extends stable measurement time in water past 1.5 hours
- A thicker 5 nm layer, combined with an oxygen-plasma treatment, maintains stability in PBS buffer for several hours
- Measured with a compact phase-sensitive SPR platform from PhaseLab Instrument at 670 nm
Copper chip sensitivity
Al₂O₃ protection layer
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