Immobilisation of multilayer bioreceptor assemblies on solid substrates

Multilayer assemblies were prepared by alternating adsorption of monolayers of monoclonal antibody against horse radish peroxidase (anti-HRP) and dextran sulfate (DS) on solid supports at acid pH. After crosslinking with glutaraldehyde, DS was washed out of the film with buffered physiological saline, while the antibody remained immobilised on the support. Assembly was monitored in situ on germanium supports by infrared multi-internal reflection spectroscopy. The binding capacity of the immobilised antibodies for HRP was measured by ELISA and by optical waveguide light mode spectroscopy. The activity of an immobilised anti-HRP bilayer was approximately twice that of a monolayer prepared by simple physiosorption. An addition of further anti-HRP layers could increase the activity only up to 2·5 of the monolayer activity independently of a number of layers in the assembly. The non-specific adsorption of proteins from human blood plasma was three times lower on the immobilised anti-HRP multilayer film than on the surface covered only with a physisorbed anti-HRP monolayer.